Jersey’s quixotic windmill.Photo: NYTimes.com
Another day, another company going green: Today it’s Bloomberg LP (which, frankly, was a bit of a surprise; we’d assumed Mike’s moneymaker has long been running on, oh, let’s say discarded trans fats). It was only a matter of time, then, before we’d see some sort of backlash from the “traditional” utility forces. In California, L.A.’s Department of Water & Power (yes, the corporate villain of Chinatown) has pulled the plug on Gore Vidal’s home solar-power plant, literally ripping out the wires and taking down the panels. Supposedly the system was improperly installed; now Vidal is back on the grid like a good little customer.
Meanwhile, back on our own coast, it doesn’t even take an evil company to rein in a green zealot. New Jerseyans are happy to police themselves. Today’s Times tells of one Michael Mercurio of Beach Haven Terrace, who installed a windmill in his backyard, complete with the appropriate municipal permits; his neighbors went to court to shut it down, because they don’t like the look and sound of it. No amount of energy-bill math or Live Earth serenading will soften the heart of a homeowner with a threatened view.
Bloomberg (the Company, not the Mayor) Goes Green [NYT/City Room]
Vidal Caught in Power Play [NYDN]
Windmill Cuts Bills, But Neighbors Don’t Want to Hear It [NYT]
