In the East River, between the Bronx and Queens, sits a 400-acre landmass known as Rikers Island. Since 1932, New Yorkers have been banished there when accused of a crime or a parole violation, or to serve short sentences. Tens of thousands of people cycle through Rikers each year, but until recently—

A trio of new City Council bills would lay the ground work to convert Rikers Island from its current state, a notorious jail complex, to a hub of renewable energy.

The “Renewable Rikers Act,” crafted by Queens Council —