San Francisco has one too, used primarily for heating buildings https://clearwaycommunityenergy.com/system_lists/energy-cent...

The interesting part of the NYC one is the scale

> Today, Consolidated Edison operates the largest commercial steam system in the world (larger than the next nine combined).

District heating is pretty normal at northern Europe altought now we use mostly water.

The district heating in Brno here in Czech Republic is in the process of converting from steam to hot water, mainly due to cost savings. Modern isolated hot water pipes loose a negligible ammount of heat in transfer while there was green grass growing on top of the old buried steam pipes even in winter.

That and the old textile industry that directly used steam no longer exists.

District heating with water is vastly more safe, I imagine that's why its used.

I remember my apartment in germany had a "Heat" meter on the water line, always wondered how that worked.

We have a calorimeter - it should count volume of hot water times the temperature difference. I heard it's not very precise.

Downtown Ottawa has a similar steam system too, although I think it's mostly government buildings instead of private, commercial buildings that are hooked up to it.

It is funny (if not terrifying) that we have literal geysers spring up on crowded city streets every once in a while.