Initial Problem Background and Problem Statement

Topic: Utility-Scale Wind Energy in Vermont

Group Information:

Brendan Andrews [email protected] Erica Spiegel [email protected] Marc Bilodeau [email protected]

Sponsor Information:

We have not selected a specific sponsor for this project. This information will be potentially useful to the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Vermont Department of Public Service, or the Vermont Planning Information Center

Problem Concept

Vermont is on the cusp on an energy transformation. Currently, just two sources, the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant and Hydro-Quebec, supply two thirds of Vermont’s electricity.1 However, within the next ten years, those sources may no longer be available and so Vermont must begin the process of diversifying its energy portfolio. A more diverse energy portfolio increases stability and decreases vulnerability, preventing Vermont from becoming too dependant on any one source of electricity. Renewable energy sources will be increasingly vital to Vermont’s future energy portfolio. Currently, renewable sources of energy supply twelve to fifteen percent of Vermont’s total energy needs.2 While hydroelectric power comprises the majority of that percentage, over time, wind will grow to be an important component of renewable energy.

Historically, Vermont has been a leader in wind energy production. The first commercial wind turbine in the United States, the Smith-Putnam turbine, became operational in 1941 on Grandpa’s Knob, twelve miles south of Rutland, Vermont.3 The turbine generated electricity and supplied that electricity to the local grid until 1945, demonstrating that “wind…could be harnessed on a large scale.”4 In 1997 when the Searsburg Wind Project was completed, it was the first commercial wind farm east of the Mississippi River.5 Some industry experts estimate that developing six to ten more commercial wind sites in Vermont could supply ten to twenty percent of the state’s energy needs, greatly reducing the state’s dependency on both out-of-state and non-

1 Vermont Department of Public Service, “Vermont’s Power Supply, 2003.” . 2 Vermont Department of Public Service,“Electric Plan 2005.” (2005). . 3 Robert W. Righter, Wind Energy in America: A History, p. 131. 4 Righter, p. 134. 5 Renewable Energy Vermont, Vermont Wind: Looking Towards Our Energy Future, DVD, 2004. renewable electricity resources.6 Projects across the state have been put forth by private developers; however, these proposals to develop more wind farms have all triggered local opposition and have been slowed by the state’s reticence to embrace commercial wind farms. Instead, Vermont has chosen to focus wind energy development on a smaller, “Vermont-scale” that promotes individual and residential applications for wind turbines and is incompatible with larger, commercial projects.7 Thus, many other states have surpassed Vermont in terms of developing commercially viable wind power sources.

Wind energy is a natural fit for Vermont. Wind is abundant and free and does not pollute the environment. Increasing the state’s reliance on wind energy will continue a tradition begun in the 1940’s on a hill outside of Rutland. Thus, state policies and administrative processes must support and encourage the development of large scale commercial wind projects.

In July of 2004, Governor Jim Douglas issued an executive order to create a Commission on Wind Energy Regulatory Policy. The Commission, in the course of its work, recognized and reaffirmed that “there is no statewide consensus on the development of large wind generation projects in Vermont.”8 Nowhere is this more apparent than at the local and at the regional levels. For some towns, wind energy projects spark fierce debates; in others, the issue is rarely mentioned. While town and regional plans provide a “vision of how communities should develop and how proper land use designations can affect the health, safety, and welfare of [these] communities,” most plans do not specifically address wind energy and only address renewable energy in broad strokes.9 With no direction from town plans, and when confronted by conflicting and inconsistent information about the noise, the safety, the environmental impact, the cost, and the appearance of wind turbines, select boards and regional planning commissions often feel marginalized when commercial wind projects proceed through the Section 248 process.

In order to help build consensus, the Commission noted the need for an “increase [in] public and local official education.”10 This project seeks to provide these town leaders and regional planning commissions with a clear overview of the major issues pertaining to wind energy, in order to help them make informed decisions about wind energy. Information about the technical, environmental, and economic aspects of wind energy, the legal process of siting, and the concept of public good will all be provided. By providing this information, the project seeks to add clarity to the wind energy debate at the local level, and in so doing, to encourage towns and regions to articulate a set of community standards regarding wind energy development and to record those values

6 Ibid. 7 “Meeting Vermont’s Energy Needs,” Opinions by Gov. Jim Douglas and Mayor Peter Clavelle, Burlington Free Press, 22 Aug. 2004. 8 Commission on Wind Energy Regulatory Policy, “Findings and Recommendations,” 2004, 4-12. 9 Charldean Newell, The Effective Local Government Manager, (Washington, D.C.: International City/County Management Association, 2004), 89. 10 Ibid. within the town and regional plans. The project will provide specific suggestions and sample language to modify those sections of the town plan relevant to wind energy and to articulate that vision; whether in favor or against wind energy.