Download - WIND ENERGY IN VERMONT
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WIND ENERGY IN VERMONT
Public Administration 306 - Marc Bilodeau - Erica Spiegel - Brendan Andrews
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ENERGY USES & SOURCES
•Seventy-one percent of Vermont’s electricity comes from two sources: Vermont Yankee Nuclear and contracts with Hydro-Quebec. •Both contracts are set to expire within the next seven to ten years.
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ENERGY USES & SOURCES
•Energy consumption has steadily risen over the past decade and is expected to rise at a rate of about two percent per year during the 2000-2010 period.
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• Vermont had the first commercial wind turbine in the nation.
• The Searsburg Wind Project, completed in 1997, was the first commercial wind farm east of the Mississippi River.
• The Vermont Electric Plan 2005 recommends that “Vermont should continue to encourage and promotedevelopment of net-metered renewableenergy applications in appropriatelocations.”
WIND ENERGY IN VERMONT
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THE POWER OF WIND•The average household consumes 750 Kilowatt-hours of electricity per month.
•A 1.5 MW turbine
generates enough
electricity to power
500 average homes
in Vermont.
•Costs of wind energy
have declined eighty percent since 1980.
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WORKING DEFINITIONS
•BIG WIND:- Commercial wind projects with turbines that are 200 to 300 feet in height and produce 1.5 MW at full capacity.
• SMALL WIND:- Single turbines under 120 feet in height with blade diameters of less than 20 feet that are designed for use by individual homeowners, schools, and businesses.
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WORKING DEFINITIONS• PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD:
– The “quasi-judicial board” that regulates Vermont’s public utilities to ensure the “provision of high quality public utility service at minimum reasonable costs.”
• DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE: – State executive agency that acts as “an advocate” for
the ratepayer in energy and telecommunications matters.
• CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC GOOD: – The “permit” issued by the Public Service Board if a
project is determined to be in the best interests of the state.
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WIND ENERGY IN VERMONT• In 2004, the Commission on Wind
Energy Regulatory Policy said that “there is no statewide consensus on the development of large wind generation projects in Vermont.”
• Among other things, the Commission noted the need for an “increase [in] public and local official education.”
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DEFINING THE PROBLEM– State lacks diversity of electricity
sources.– Ongoing debate about
appropriateness of wind energy for Vermont.
– Piecemeal approach to development.–Most town plans do not specifically
address commercial wind.– Local officials need improved
information to make better policy decisions.
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INVOLVED ACTORS• Department of Public Service
• Public Service Board
• Agency of Natural Resources
• Selectboards
• Regional planning agencies
• VT League of Cities and Towns
• Local residents
• Advocacy groups
• Developers
• The media
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APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS• 30 V.S.A. Section 248 is the regulatory
process to determine if a proposed public utility project is in the public good.
• Town Plans are considered by the Public Service Board.
• Towns cannot outlaw power generation facilities outright and local zoning laws do not apply.
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POLICY GOALS TO ACHIEVE
• Help state achieve goal of promoting renewable energy.
• Equip town selectboards and regional planners with information to modify their plans.
• Help towns establish clear, written community standards.
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THE DELIVERABLE• “Commercial Wind Development in
Vermont: A Primer for Local Officials and Citizens”
• Contents:– Background of commercial wind– Technical issues
• Environmental, wildlife, siting, costs– Aesthetic issues– Legal and Regulatory issues– Sample Language, case studies, and precedents – Link to other resources
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EXAMPLES OF PLANS
• Hinesburg – permissive town plan
• Middlebury – restrictive town plan
• Northeastern Vermont Development Association – regional plan
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PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
• The Public Service Board often cites town plans when it makes decisions about issuing Certificates of Public Good.– Middlebury case from 2000.– Charlotte case from 2001.
• Department of Public Service testimony also stresses importance of clear town plans.
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CONCLUSIONS & SUMMARY• Our guide provides an information tool to
towns so they can articulate their feelings about commercial wind development.
• Helps promote orderly development and the state’s goal for renewable energy.
• Allows towns proactively to decide whether to welcome or to discourage a project.
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VERMONT’S WORKING LANDSCAPE
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“Vermont Windfarm”
“Wind turbines are a beautiful part of our cultural landscape. They are beautiful in themselves – kinetic sculptures on the skyline”
-- Sabra Field, Vermont Artist