nyc: I have heard its quite a heavy amount and what is their method of generation? Third rail traction needs a lot of substations so what's the average distance between two in NYC subway? Around a mile apart?|||"Today, the NYC Subway is the city鈥檚 largest user of electricity. AC operates signals, station and tunnel lighting, ventilation and miscellaneous line equipment, while DC operates trains and such auxiliary equipment as water pumps and emergency lighting. The system鈥檚 215 electric substations receive high- and low-voltage power from the New York Power Authority, at voltages as high as 27kV AC, prior to transforming it for use within the system. The subway's third rail requires 625 volts DC for operating the trains. Power is distributed throughout the system via 2,500 miles of cable, which passes beneath 7,651 manholes located throughout the city. The power required to operate the subway system during peak hours is about 500 MW. And at 1.8 billion kilowatt hours, the subway鈥檚 annual power consumption equals that of the city of Buffalo, New York." "Longest between-station stretch: 3.5 miles on the A train between Howard Beach/JFK Airport and Broad Channel stations (Queens). "|||the subway uses in one year about the same as the city of Buffalo. It's currently drawn from the municipal power grid. mile is way too litle in some cases, it depends on the density of the lines in the area.