New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg touted clean energy Tuesday at, aptly, the National Clean Energy Summit. He said his city has issued a formal request to companies for ideas on how to source electricity from the wind, sun, and waves. “Perhaps companies will want to put wind farms atop our bridges and skyscrapers, or use the enormous potential of powerful offshore winds miles out in the Atlantic Ocean,” Bloomberg said, adding, “I think it would be a thing of beauty if, when Lady Liberty looks out on the horizon, she not only welcomes new immigrants but lights their way with a torch powered by an ocean wind farm.” He also touted less-sexy smart power grids, increased transmission capacity, and carbon taxation. Bloomberg can’t, of course, snap his fingers and create a Green Apple; plenty of obstacles remain, including potential expense, resident resistance, permitting, and the fact that less than 18 months remain in his mayoral term. Unfazed, Bloomberg declared, “When it comes to producing clean power, we’re determined to make New York the No. 1 city in the nation.”
