Some Sunset Park residents support the Industry City plan because it would create new jobs, and others, fearing gentrification, vehemently oppose it. Both sides showed up for Menchaca’s event, and in the end, his gesture toward compromise likely satisfied neither. But the resisters – including community groups like UPROSE and Protect Sunset Park and leftist activists from the South Brooklyn DSA – bore a superior fury, and their unconditional stance against the rezoning shut down Menchaca’s night. After he left, they took the microphone and, in an energetic display of popular democracy, continued to occupy the room, even after security tried to turn off the lights.
NEW, MODERN ELECTRIC GENERATING STATIONS COULD BE COMING TO GOWANUS IN 5 YEARS
Two electric generating stations on six power barges, floating along the shoreline of Gowanus and Sunset Park, are looking to be replaced and updated by 2024.
Collectively they provide enough energy between one and 1.5 million residential customers in Brooklyn. The barges continued operating during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and were only offline for two hours, due personnel evacuations, according to John Reese from Astoria Generating Company (AGC). They have been the first units back on line to restore power during blackouts.
Four of the six barges burn natural gas as their primary fuel and, as required, have ultra low sulfur diesel as a back-up fuel. The remaining two power barges burn only ultra-low sulfur diesel.