NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2008
New York Aims To Be The Real Windy City
Mayor Michael Bloomberg Lays Out Plan To Put Windmills Atop Skyscrapers And Bridges
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"It would be a thing of beauty if when 'Lady Liberty' looks out on the horizon, she not only welcomes new immigrants to our shores but lights their way with a torch powered by an ocean wind farm," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas Aug. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Louie Traub)
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At the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas Tuesday night, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed placing windmills atop skyscrapers and bridges and turbines in the East and Hudson rivers to help power the city.
Bloomberg's "windmill power plan" is the boldest environmental proposal yet from the billionaire independent, who has been trying to make energy efficiency a legacy of his administration, reports CBS station WCBS-TV reporter Magee Hickey.
The plan also includes the use of solar panels, possibly on the roofs of public and private buildings, Hickey reports.
"When it takes to producing clean power, we're determined to make New York the number one city in the nation," Bloomberg said.
The mayor lunched with fellow billionaire, Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens, who is currently angling to build the world's largest wind farm in his home state.
Bloomberg gave companies until September 19 to submit innovative proposals to make New York "greener" by 2030.
"It would be a thing of beauty if when 'Lady Liberty' looks out on the horizon, she not only welcomes new immigrants to our shores but lights their way with a torch powered by an ocean wind farm," the mayor said.
Bloomberg said the energy discussion was timely, and he criticized presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain for not having a real debate about energy.
"They're treating us to a political silly season," Bloomberg said, not mentioning either candidate by name but citing ideas such as tapping the nation's strategic oil reserve or giving Americans a gas tax holiday.
"The best that can be said about these ideas is that they're pandering," Bloomberg said. "Far worse, they're distractions from the deadly serious business of creating a new national energy policy."
One by one, speakers at the meeting touted the benefits of various energy-related initiatives, including how large-scale solar power could generate thousands of jobs and why wind power could lessen America's dependence on foreign oil. Extending tax credits, establishing caps on carbon emissions and modernizing the nation's electricity grid were also ideas that speakers said would be crucial to building a "green" economy.
Former President Bill Clinton laid out a 10-point plan Monday that included expanded research for carbon dioxide storage and accelerating a shift toward plug-in hybrid electric cars.
Pickens also presented his plan to develop wind energy to generate 20 percent of the nation's electricity, then use natural gas to power cars until hydrogen or plug-in electric cars become widely available.
"I don't see many people from my party," said Pickens, a Republican. "I'm making new friends, and that's good."
Representatives from Google Inc. and General Electric Co. said Tuesday that widespread use of renewable energy in United States would be possible - if it were cheaper.
Renewable energy options will remain "boutique" industries unless their costs are cut to make them competitive with coal and other widely used power sources, said Dan Reicher, director for climate change and energy initiatives at Google.org, the company's philanthropic arm.
Reicher spoke to a group of politicians and energy experts at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. The meeting's attendees said they hope to develop a national energy agenda to take to the Democratic and Republican parties at their upcoming conventions.
"There's a whole set of factors that go into the ultimate cost of energy," Reicher said after announcing a plan for Google to invest more than $10 million to develop
Google's project replicates traditional geothermal systems deep below the Earth's surface by circulating water through hot rock and running the steam through a turbine that generates electricity.
Google said its goal was to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity - enough to power a major city.
"These are all high-capital-costs projects," Reicher said.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Posted by hhroams
Rather you like Bloomberg or not, wind power does make sense as does solar power. They would not supply 100% of our power needs, but they could have a major impact in the amount of fossil fuels needed!
Posted by gop_forever''
Unless it is accompanied by a giant beanie on her head.
Didn''t say that. I think it is a great idea. If New York does it and succeeds, the world will follow.
Sounds very fitting.
Now about the windmills in the Big Apple, I think it''s a great idea. Of course it might affect air traffic flying into the airports, or those pesky terrorists who like fly planes into buildings. But hey!, it might be worth a shot.
We CAN DO this folks! It''s not as hard as it looks! Colorado met its renewable energy goal 8 years ahead of schedule. It''s just that the political will is going to have to come from somewhere besides the top of our government strata where the oil lobbies rule both parties.
"The statue of liberty should not have a pinwheel in her hand!"
Replace the torch with a wind turbine...
"Fortunately all political parties are supporting Pickens and Bloomberg."
Yes, so that you can move from one form of slavery to another.
The smartest way is through non-profit community sponsored energy projects.
"Replace the torch with a wind turbine..."
Funny, but a beanie cap would be funnier.
Posted by buttonjockey at 12:09 PM : Aug 20, 2008
+ report abu
You are right, they just can''t let go of that oil lobby money maybe this will start the ball rolling and some great ideas will come out of it. You won''t beat America for ingenuity they will do it as soon as they put there minds to it.Wonder what will replace those lobbyist
Posted by starleo14672 at 01:13 PM : Aug 20, 2008
Actually this renewed interest in wind energy is being driven by one of the richest oilmen in the business, T, Boone Pickens.
Really,, I think it''s a great idea, and I do believe Bloomberg is trying to catch-up to upstate NY, where windmills have been being built in the last few years.
In fact, there has been 3 wind farms built not far from where I grew up. One is capable of producing enough electricity for 40.000 homes. That''s a great start I think.
Posted by guad07rg
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And I though the story was about a guniess world record for the most flatulent city.
Kennedy faces fight on Cape Wind
Key lawmakers oppose his bid to block project
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff | April 27, 2006
WASHINGTON -- As record oil prices turn attention to the need for renewable fuels, momentum is building in Congress to buck Senator Edward M. Kennedy''s bid to block the proposed Cape Cod wind energy project, potentially reviving efforts to construct the sprawling windmill farm in Nantucket Sound.
The maneuver to stop the wind farm ''''is clearly a backroom deal, and they''re going to get called publicly on it," said John Passacantando, executive director of Greenpeace USA. ''''The Democrats are going to kill the first big offshore wind farm in the United States because of their relationship with Ted Kennedy."
The 130-turbine, 24-square-mile cluster of windmills would be about 8 miles from Kennedy''s home in Hyannis Port, and he has long opposed it.
Kennedy rejected suggestions that he doesn''t like the wind farm because it would be near his Cape home, and said the project probably wouldn''t be visible from the Kennedy compound. He said he''s against the project because it would create a range of environmental and navigational problems and would hurt tourism, one of the area''s key industries.
http://tinyurl.com/kyp3y
If they can''t agree to put up a wind farm 8 miles off the coast, how will they ever agree to putting them all over New York City?
Electric cars are all good and well, you might have just heard that Chevy announced there new Volt electric car, unfortunately it''''s missing the battery technology. Your a bit ahead of yourself.
The Prius comes close, but still needs the dreaded gasoline.
Posted by gunfighter51 at 06:14 PM : Aug 20, 2008
I heard today that if everyone gets electric cars, we will have to beef up the power grids across the US to handle the extra work load.
Posted by RICKY747
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Would you want to sit at a rest stop or "charging station" for 8 to 12 hours waiting for a charge?
The cars now can''t go more than a few dozen miles at best in the city before they have to be charged. In the Western States driving 500 miles on an interstate is typical to get anywhere. Electric cars in that sense would be worthless.
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by republic1776
August 20, 2008 8:55 PM PDT
- I would not want to see these ugly, noisy things on top of Landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge.
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See all 25 CommentsBonehead idea!
Go nuclear.