A New Power Option For Long Island’s Energy Crisis

Walt Jordan of DGEN Energy Partners is advocating for linear generating systems as a faster, cheaper, and less contentious solution to Long Island's growing energy needs, contrasting them with offshore wind, solar, battery storage, or nuclear power. These generators produce electricity by compressing fuel without combustion, utilizing a back-and-forth motion rather than spinning turbines. Jordan emphasizes their clean operation, stating they have no measurable EPA emissions and operate quietly. The economic benefits are significant, with Jordan claiming that large commercial users on Long Island could see their electricity costs drop from approximately 26 cents to 7-8 cents per kilowatt-hour by owning the equipment. While natural gas is suggested as the most practical fuel source for Long Island, the systems are adaptable to other fuels like hydrogen, propane, ammonia, and methane. The technology, developed by Menlo Park, California-based company Mainspring, is already in use by prominent entities including Amazon, for its robotic warehouses, and Prologis. PSEG also has an operational system feeding power into the grid, and NYU Langone utilizes existing installations. Jordan highlights speed as a key advantage for Long Island, noting that 10 megawatts can be deployed to a data center in under 12 months. This rapid deployment is presented as a crucial benefit for data centers seeking immediate power solutions and cost efficiencies amidst the region's energy challenges. An unrelated segment in the article briefly mentions crime in Suffolk County.