Date:13/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/13/stories/2006031303451500.htm

International

Liberty torch to be lit by wind power

New York: The Bush administration has often been accused of a purely symbolic commitment to clean energy. But even its supporters might not reject that description of its latest announcement: the torch on the Statue of Liberty, perhaps the single most famous symbol of America, is to be lit exclusively by wind power. The ``huddled masses'' famously welcomed to America by the inscription on the statue will be able to breathe a little more freely after the U.S. National Parks Service announced a contract to provide 27m kilowatt hours of green energy to the statue, as well as to the nearby Ellis Island museum and several other sites. ``It is an honour to assist Lady Liberty in keeping the torch shining,'' said Ed Mayberry, president of Pepco Energy Services, which won the three-year contract and will provide power primarily from wind farms in Pennsylvania and New York State. President Bush has been working hard to establish his credentials in recent months