After Kamen was denied permission to build a
wind turbine on the island, he joked that he was seceding from the
United States.
[3][4] The island's electrical system was later converted to a combination of
wind and
solar power with the help of Fritz Morgan, Chief Technology Officer of
Philips Color Kinetics, operating independently of the regional
electrical grid. This was accomplished by replacing all lighting on the island with
LEDs, which resulted in a 70% reduction of in-house energy consumption.
[5][6] Kamen says that the island is
carbon neutral due to solar panels on every building, a 10 kW wind turbine, and a "little"
Stirling engine for backup power.
[7]
Kamen's secession is not legally recognized, but he still refers to the island as the "Kingdom of North Dumpling" and has established a constitution; a flag; a currency, which is the dumpling;
[8] a national anthem, which is the sound of a stone being thrown into water, and a navy consisting of a single
amphibious vehicle. The people of North Dumpling are called "Dumplonians",
[9] and Kamen is said to refer to himself as "
Lord Dumpling" or "Lord Dumpling II". In addition to
North Dumpling Lighthouse, the island has a replica of
Stonehenge.
[3][4]