Ravenswood Generating Station

Ravenswood was originally built and owned by Consolidated Edison of New York Inc. (Con Edison) in 1963. The first two units constructed in 1963 were Ravenswood 10 and 20, each having a generating capacity of approximately 385 megawatts. Then, in 1965, Ravenswood 30 (commonly called "Big Allis") was commissioned with a generating capacity of nearly 981 megawatts. In the 1970s, multiple combustion turbine units were installed in a simple cycle configuration to meet peak power demands. The facility used coal fuel until 1971.

Due to deregulation of the energy markets in New York State, Con Edison was required to sell all of its "in-city" generating stations in New York City including Ravenswood. In 1999, Con Edison transferred ownership of Ravenswood to KeySpan Energy for $597 million.{{cite press release |date=June 18, 1999 |url=https://www.coned.com/newsroom/news/pr19990618.asp |title=Con Edison Completes Sale of Ravenswood Power Plant in Queens |publisher=Con Edison |accessdate=April 21, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061105191324/https://www.coned.com/newsroom/news/pr19990618.asp |archive-date=November 5, 2006 }} In 2004, KeySpan constructed a new unit, Ravenswood 40, using combined cycle technology with generating capacity of 250 megawatts.

National Grid plc acquired KeySpan in 2007{{cite press release |date=February 27, 2006 |url=https://www9.nationalgridus.com/information/pressRels/pr022706.asp |title=National Grid to Acquire KeySpan in $7.3 Billion Cash Transaction |publisher=National Grid |accessdate=April 21, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060620065418/https://www9.nationalgridus.com/information/pressRels/pr022706.asp |archive-date=June 20, 2006 }} but due to its involvement in electrical transmission the New York Public Service Commission required National Grid to sell Ravenswood to ensure competition in the market. On August 26, 2008, Ravenswood was sold by National Grid to TransCanada Corporation for $2.9 billion.{{cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080331006720/en/National-Grid-plc-Announces-Sale-Ravenswood-Generating|title=National Grid plc Announces Sale of Ravenswood Generating Station for $2.9 Billion|work=www.businesswire.com|date=March 31, 2008|accessdate=January 2, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004946/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080331006720/en/National-Grid-plc-Announces-Sale-Ravenswood-Generating|archive-date=January 3, 2019}} TransCanada later sold Ravenswood to LS Power/Helix Energy Solutions Group in a package deal also including the Ironwood, Ocean State and Kibby Wind facilities for a total price of US$2.1 Billion.{{cite web|url=https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/5675-transcanada-completes-sale-us-northeast-power-assets-helix-generation/|title=TransCanada completes sale of US Northeast power assets to Helix Generation|work=www.dailyenergyinsider.com|date=June 9, 2017|accessdate=January 2, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lspower.com/ls-power-completes-acquisition-3950-mw-power-generation-portfolio-northeast/|title=LS Power Completes Acquisition of 3,950 MW Power Generation Portfolio in Northeast|work=www.lspower.com|date=June 5, 2017|accessdate=January 2, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.transcanada.com/en/announcements/2017/2017-06-05transcanada-completes-sale-of-u.s.-northeast-power-assets/|title=TransCanada Completes Sale of U.S. Northeast Power Assets|work=www.transcanada.com|date=June 5, 2017|accessdate=January 2, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103005109/https://www.transcanada.com/en/announcements/2017/2017-06-05transcanada-completes-sale-of-u.s.-northeast-power-assets/|archive-date=January 3, 2019}} In 2018, Helix Generation LLC filed a lawsuit against TransCanada Facility USA Inc. for allegedly fraudulently misleading Helix prior to the sale.{{cite web|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1106922/transcanada-accused-of-misleading-electricity-plant-buyer|title=TransCanada Accused Of Misleading Electricity Plant Buyer|work=www.law360.com|first=Rose|last=Krebs|date=November 30, 2018|accessdate=January 2, 2019}}

In 2019, it was announced that a 316 MW battery storage system would be built at the Ravenswood Generating Station. The system would be the largest in New York state and would be built in three phases, the first of which would be complete in 2021.{{cite web | title=Long Island City will soon be home to New York's biggest battery | website=Crain's New York Business | agency=Bloomberg News | date=October 17, 2019 | url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/energy-utilities/long-island-city-will-soon-be-home-new-yorks-biggest-battery | access-date=October 18, 2019}}

Ravenswood is located in Long Island City in Queens, New York, across from Roosevelt Island. The site is connected to the New York City electrical system through the 138 kV Vernon substation and the 345 kV Rainey substation.{{cite web |date=May 30, 2012 |url=http://www.nyenergyhighway.com/Content/documents/95.pdf |title=New York Energy Highway RFI Response by TransCanada Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004736/http://www.nyenergyhighway.com/Content/documents/95.pdf |archive-date=January 3, 2019}} It is capable of producing 2,480 MW of electric power.

Ravenswood No. 3, also known as Unit 30 or Big Allis, is a natural gas facility at Ravenswood Generating Station owned by LS Power and operated by IHI Corporation Energy Services. During 1963, Allis-Chalmers announced that ConEd had ordered the "world's first MILLION-KILOWATT unit...big enough to serve 3,000,000 people." This sheer scale helped the plant become popularly known as "Big Allis", due to Allis-Chalmers' role in construction. During the Northeast blackout of 1965, the bearings of the Allis-Chalmers Turbine were damaged. The lube oil pumps were hooked up to the electrical grid and thus shut down during the blackout, causing bearing damage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/08/04/archives/con-ed-is-still-mystified-by-big-allis-shortcircuit.html|title=Con Ed Is Still Mystified By Big Allis Short-Circuit|last=Lubasch|first=Arnold H.|date=August 4, 1970|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 1, 2018|language=en|quote=On Nov. 9, 1965. four months after Big Allis went into operation, a blackout in the North east ruined 14 of the generator's 15 bearings.}}{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/gridjourneythrou0000sche|url-access=registration|title=The Grid: A Journey Through the Heart of Our Electrified World|last=Schewe|first=Phillip F.|date=February 20, 2007|publisher=Joseph Henry Press / National Academies Press|isbn=9780309133890|pages=[https://archive.org/details/gridjourneythrou0000sche/page/133 133]|language=en}}

At the time of its installation, it was the world's largest steam energy generating facility. It is located on the Ravenswood site, consisting of Units 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as several small gas turbines (GTs), and an oil depot. The site overall produces about 2,500 MW, or approximately 20% of New York City's current energy consumption.{{cite news |last=Massey |first=Daniel |title=Labor fight could unplug Queens power plant |newspaper=Crain's New York Business |date=June 23, 2009 |url=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090623/FREE/906239978 |accessdate=August 14, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090626071137/http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090623/FREE/906239978| archive-date= June 26, 2009 | url-status= live}} In 2011, Big Allis burned 97% natural gas, 3% oil (used as backup fuels).

The site also includes a steam generation plant consisting of four Babcock & Wilcox boilers, owned and run by Con Edison. The plant helps in the supply of steam to the Manhattan steam system when needed, via the Ravenswood Tunnel under the East River.{{cite book |last=Jacobs |first=Charles M. |year=1894 |url=https://archive.org/details/agm2106.0001.001.umich.edu |title=A General Report Upon the Initiation and Construction of the Tunnel Under the East River New York|publisher=New York }}{{cite web |url=http://www.dec.ny.gov/enb2001/20010516/Reg2.html |title=ENB Region 2 Completed Applications 05/16/2001 |website=New York State Department of Environmental Conservation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725074919/http://www.dec.ny.gov/enb2001/20010516/Reg2.html |archive-date=July 25, 2008}}

{{main|Ravenswood Nuclear Power Plant}}

A 750MW_e nuclear reactor was proposed in 1962, to begin operation on the site in 1970, but was cancelled in 1964 due to controversy and safety concerns. The total capacity was to be augmented to 1000MW_e with oil-fired superheaters.{{cite journal |last1=Mazuzan |first1=George T. |title="Very Risky Business": A Power Reactor for New York City |journal=Technology and Culture |date=April 1986 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=262-284 |doi=10.2307/3105145 |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/3105145 |access-date=16 February 2025|url-access=subscription }}

• List of largest power stations in the United States
• New York energy law

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.coned.com/ Con Edison Official Webpage]
• [http://www.nationalgridus.com/ National Grid US Official Webpage]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105193006/https://www.transcanada.com/docs/Our_Businesses/ravenswood.pdf Ravenswood Generating Station] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20121105193006/https://www.transcanada.com/docs/Our_Businesses/ravenswood.pdf archived]) by TransCanada

{{Electricity delivery|collapsed}}

Category:Fossil fuel power stations in the United States

Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1963

Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1965

Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 2004

Category:Natural gas-fired power stations in New York (state)

Category:Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company

Category:Buildings and structures in Queens, New York

Category:Long Island City

Category:TC Energy