Reckson-owned building generates own electricity.

It's no secret to New York's building owners that energy independence is a good thing.

Anyone who was here recalls the massive blackout that plunged Manhattan into days of darkness three years ago. Those who do business in northern Queens neighborhoods are just a few days removed from a series of frustrating power outages and brownouts that hampered business and shut down several subway lines.

If Manhattan were again to be hit with an outage, as it was in 2003, or with brownouts similar to those in Queens last week, there's one building that would have little to worry about.

Reckson Associates Realty Corporation's 35-story building at 1350 Avenue of the Americas is the first building in Manhattan to have a natural gas powered Combined Heat and Power (CHP) facility up and running on its rooftop. The CHP allows the 547,000 s/f building to operate independent of Con Edison's sometimes feeble grid during expensive peak hours. If the grid were to go down, 1350 Avenue of the Americas would be able to operate on its own, supplying the building with over 700 kilowatts to tenants. The CHP also produces hot water with the heat generated by the microturbines, thus providing hot water and--in the winter--a portion of the heat for the building.

The CHP facility on top of Reckson's building is owned and operated by OfficePower LLC of Norwalk, CT. According to Matt Duthie, senior vice president for Reckson, the CHP installation has worked well on several fronts.

"The impetus was we were trying to find a way to distinguish the building and to find a way to get it power," he said. "But also, [OfficePower LLC] is renting the space from us. It works financially."

Duthie said their ability to guarantee power in most situations has helped them attract high-end hedge fund clients to a building that has been known over the last decade as "the men's apparel building." Additionally, he said, the highly efficient natural gas-powered turbines offer environmental benefits.

"This equipment is more friendly than the Con Edison plants and the installation will meet a substantial portion of the thermal load," Duthie said, referring to the heating needs of the building.

Where this system differs from other co-generation projects in town is that it will be able to operate during a power outage. Legally, negotiating the ability to run independently during an outage can be difficult, according OfficePower LLC CEO Joel Wilson--and for good reason.

"There are technical concerns. Con Ed needs to be assured you won't be back-feeding power into their system," Wilson said. "As you can imagine, if you have an outage and you send a team out to fix the wires, you want to make sure there's not current in the line coming from an independent source. There are some challenges in how you design that and implement [a CHP]."

Wilson would not go into specifics regarding how OfficePower LLC has convinced Con Ed that such a back feed will not occur, citing 'trade secrets.' He can hardly be blamed. Three years after its founding, OfficePower LLC is making its first significant forays into Manhattan, recently announcing CHP facilities will be installed at 100E 59th Street and 230 Park Avenue. Wilson said there are deals in the makings with several other building owners in the city, some of whom boast large portfolios.

"It's an idea that is being embraced by the real estate industry here," Wilson said. "New York has the brightest and the best and most experienced owners in the world and they can see all the positives."