A new generation of pollution-free generators could offer Long Island a faster, cheaper, and less controversial answer to its growing energy needs than offshore wind, solar, battery storage or nuclear power, says Walt Jordan of DGEN Energy Partners.
Linear generating systems create electricity without combustion by compressing fuel rather than burning it. They use back-and-forth motion instead of spinning turbines, allowing for smaller, more efficient generators with fewer moving parts.
“Forget what you know about diesel or natural gas-powered generators,” Jordan said. “These systems do not run on combustion. They work on compression, a process that allows us to run very clean.”
Jordan said natural gas would be the most practical fuel source for Long Island, though the machines can also utilize hydrogen, propane, ammonia, methane and other fuels. With New York sitting on a Saudi Arabia-sized supply of natural gas, the systems would be a win-win for ratepayers and the environment.
Linear generators are clean, quiet and can be deployed far faster than nuclear or large renewable projects that often face permitting delays, cost overruns and community opposition. “They have no measurable emissions by EPA standards,” Jordan said. “They’re quiet as a washing machine.”
Jordan argued the economics could be just as compelling. He said the average large commercial user on Long Island pays about 26 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, while a linear generator system could cut that cost to roughly 7 to 8 cents per kilowatt-hour for customers who buy the equipment outright. “I can take you off the grid,” Jordan said, “and you’re going to spend somewhere between 7 and 8 cents a kilowatt-hour.”
The technology, built by Menlo Park, Ca. company Mainspring, is already in use by major players including Amazon, Prologis and PSEG, with existing installations also serving NYU Langone. “Amazon’s robotic warehouses are running on these machines. Prologis is running on these machines. PSEG has one putting power onto the grid right now,” he noted.
For Long Island, Jordan said the biggest selling point may be speed. “I can put 10 megawatts on a data center in less than 12 months,” he boasted. “They need power now, and we can make it happen quickly and save them money.”