State
posted
Jan 10, 2013
A proposed three-year moratorium on renewable wind energy
development in Vermont was roundly criticized recently by some of
Vermont's leading environmental organizations. Groups
including the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Conservation
Law Foundation, 350Vermont, Sierra Club Vermont Chapter, Vermont
Natural Resources Council, Citizens Awareness Network, National
Wildlife Federation's Northeast Regional Center, and the Vermont
Yankee Decommissioning Alliance all came out strongly against a
moratorium bill introduced by state senators Joe Benning and Bob
Hartwell.
"With storms like Irene and Sandy still fresh in our minds, and
2012 having broken all sorts of records for heat, droughts and
floods, this is no time to retreat from Vermont's commitment to
clean energy," said Paul Burns, executive director of VPIRG.
From an environmental standpoint, the groups pointed out that it
would be irresponsible to simply ask others outside of Vermont to
bear the burden of producing power for our energy needs. And, it's
always more efficient to generate power as close as possible to
where it is used.
"Buying power from outside Vermont means we are exporting air
and water pollution and environmental damage by continuing our
reliance on large scale hydro-dams, dirty coal and oil, and nuclear
power," said Christopher Kilian, Vermont Director for Conservation
Law Foundation. "These energy sources are extremely damaging from
both an environmental and public health perspective; wind and other
renewable energy produced in Vermont is a key part of the
transition away from these dirty sources of electricity."
More than a year ago, the state adopted a plan calling for 90
percent of its energy needs to be met with renewable resources by
2050. This plan is one of the most ambitious in the nation, and was
the result of many months of work and a great deal of public
input.
Numerous public opinion surveys have confirmed that a huge
majority of Vermont residents support the development of local
renewable energy resources. For instance, a poll released by WCAX
TV last May found that nearly 70 percent of Vermonters support
ridgeline wind development while just 17 percent oppose wind
energy.
"There will always be those who oppose clean energy, be it wind,
solar or backyard clothes lines. But we must not allow the
extreme voices of those who refuse to take responsibility for our
energy future to dictate our legacy," said Kilian. "We can do
better than that."
"Climate change is our most critical environmental challenge. To
avoid the impacts of severe climate change on our environment and
infrastructure, the atmosphere's carbon content must be reduced to
a sustainable level as soon as possible. And because the residence
time of carbon in our atmosphere is so long, reducing our carbon
emissions becomes an urgent task," said Charles McKenna, Executive
Committee Member, Sierra Club Vermont Chapter and Upper Valley
Group.
The proposed legislation comes as a state Energy Siting
Commission is considering various proposals for improving the way
energy generating projects are regulated and approved by the
state. Recommendations by the Commission are due to be
completed by April 30, 2013.
"The independent commission is hearing from virtually all
interested parties at this point," said Brian Shupe, executive
director of VNRC. "We ought to give them a chance to do their job,
which is scheduled to be completed by this April, and provide a
comprehensive set of recommendations for improving how all energy
facilities are sited in Vermont."
With two new wind projects coming online in the closing days of
2012, grid-scale wind turbines now produce enough energy in Vermont
to power more than 45,000 households. That's a significant
percentage of the state's overall energy needs, but advocates point
out that there's the potential to tap even more wind energy in the
state.
"Carefully sited wind is an important part of the
solution, but it's just one part of a responsible energy mix," said
VNRC's Shupe. "We need to do more to maximize energy efficiency and
conservation, and of course we need a diversified portfolio of
renewable energy sources in order to meet the state's ambitious
energy goal."
"We are in the process of creating a paradigm shift in the way
we generate energy," said Deb Katz, executive director of Citizens
Awareness Network. "This shift requires a commitment to a
sustainable energy future; we cannot allow fear or doubt
to weaken our resolve."
"The urgent need to reverse climate change is undeniable," said
Maeve McBride, organizer for 350Vermont. "Burlington's average
temperature for 2012 was 5 degrees above normal. Globally, 2012 saw
unprecedented droughts, superstorms, and rapid reductions in ice
cover. We need moratoriums on fossil fuels, not on renewables. Wind
energy is an essential piece of Vermont's energy future. Let's
proceed with care, but keep moving forward."
"Putting a stop to renewable wind energy development in Vermont,
as this legislation proposes, is not the solution to our energy
needs. In fact, it's part of the problem," concluded VPIRG's
Burns.
