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Boston's Gas Lamps Going Green

Gas lamps in some of Boston's historic neighborhoods are going green. Six-hundred of the city's 2,800 gas lamps that run even during daylight hours are being fitted with automatic igniters that make them come on at nightfall and turn off at daybreak, saving the city about $140,000 a year in fuel bills while reducing carbon emissions.

The $450,000 cost of the devices, which are solar powered and work by creating a spark like a gas grill, will be covered by an energy efficiency grant from the state's Department of Energy Resources.

City Councilor Matt O'Malley tells The Boston Globe that while important to the city's image, it's counter-intuitive that they remain on during the day.

Some of the city's gas lamps date to the early 1960s.

This program aired on June 6, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

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