🔥 What Are the Steam Stacks? “Steam stacks” are temporary vent pipes that utility workers place on the streets when steam or vapor needs to be released safely above street level. They channel steam upward so it doesn’t hit pedestrians or vehicles directly.  🌆 Where the Steam Comes From New York has one of the largest commercial steam systems in the world, operated by Con Edison and others. A network of over 100 miles (≈160 km) of steam pipes runs under Manhattan, delivering steam from central