NYC Council votes to ban jails from Rikers Island in step toward renewable energy hub

The City Council passed ‘Renewable Rikers’ legislation  Photo by the U.S. Geological Survey via Wikimedia Commons

By Rachel Vick

The New York City Council on Thursday passed legislation that would prohibit jails from Rikers Island and potentially turn the patch of land into a renewable energy powerhouse.

One of two bills passed Thursday would transfer jurisdiction of the penal island from the Department of Correction to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and prohibit the operation of jails after Aug. 31, 2027. A second would mandate that the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability conduct a study on the land’s potential for generating or storing renewable energy.

“The 413 acres of Rikers Island have, for far too long, embodied an unjust and racist criminal justice system,” said Councilmember Costa Constantinides. “Far too many New Yorkers found themselves caught in a cycle of over-policing and over-incarceration symbolized by an island named for the family of a slave catcher. “

The Renewable Rikers plan, first introduced in 2019,  is a “golden opportunity” to support the goals outlined in the Green New Deal, Constantinides said.

Though solar fields generate attention, the island would most efficiently serve as a battery storage, according to preliminary research from Sustainable CUNY. 

Rikers Island has the potential to store 1,520 megawatts worth of energy — half of the energy storage goal for the state as outlined by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

The plan addresses the island's history of oppression and pollution, garnering support from elected officials and justice advocates as well as environmental justice groups.

"This  legislation opens the door to transforming the notorious Rikers Island jail complex into a model of sustainability and green energy that could benefit New York City and its residents for decades to come," said New York City Environment Director at Natural Resources Defense Council Eric Goldstein.  

"The Renewable Rikers legislation recognizes that social justice and environmental protection go hand in hand, and that to achieve a just future, both objectives must be advanced.”