Columnist Suggests Installing Solar Panels On Central Park Reservoir

CENTRAL PARK, NY — The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir is one of the best spots to take in the serenity and beauty of Central Park. But could it help the city combat climate change?

According to a column published Wednesday in Crain's New York Business the reservoir could help the city cut down on burning as much as 1,4000 tons of coal per year, Keith Powers writes.

There's just one catch: Solar panels would have to be installed on the water's surface.

We have a problem to solve. The city has set an ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 and powering all municipal government operations with renewable energy sources," columnist Keith powers writes. "But we do not have a clear path to meet those goals. New York City’s dense urban environment makes it challenging to tap sources of renewable energy."

"Our reservoirs provide a solution. We have more than 34,000 acres of reservoir surface area that can be used as a platform for capturing solar energy."

Powers writes that similar solar panels — anchored to the bottom of ponds and reservoirs — have already been tested in China, Japan, the U.K. and even as close as New Jersey. With the dropping cost of solar panel technology, the project wouldn't even be too costly for New York, Powers writes.

Read the full Crain's New York Business column here.

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