Hizzoner Bloomberg is coming off as a bit of a kook after suggesting that the solution to NYC’s energy needs involves planting wind turbines on buildings and structures around the city.

No, Lady Liberty would not trade in her torch for a windmill under this plan. This accompanying artist’s conception isn’t so bad, though; anyway, it beats giving her a giant cross…

Anyway, after the professional opinion that retrofitting skyscrapers and bridges with wind-capturing hardware would cost way more than any possible gain-back in generated electricity, the Mayor is doing a quick backpedaling job. Considering he made his announcement at an energy conference in Las Vegas, I’d advise him to invoke the well-regarded “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” defense.

I can pretty well guess how Bloomberg hatched this notion: The rise of wind farms in the far north of upstate New York, and the strife/controversy that rise up with them, have been in the news lately.

Seems like the whole of the Empire State has strong feelings about the issue — those windmill rotors might as well double as crosshairs. Maybe it’s a sublimated defensive response, left over from the long-ago struggle over control of what used to be New Amsterdam/New Netherland? If so, despite the historical precedent for windmill-tilting, it could be that any proposed reversion to Dutch sovereignty simply wouldn’t stick, Euro-style canals or no.