ST. JOHNSBURY - Voters in the town of Lowell will get to decide whether they want a wind power development on the Lowell ridgeline.

The Lowell Board of Selectmen will conduct a referendum by Australian ballot about Kingdom Community Wind at town meeting in March, board Chairman Richard Pion said Tuesday.

And Green Mountain Power officials said Tuesday that they will abide by the will of the Lowell voters.

"There will be a vote. We want it," GMP project manager Charlie Pughe said. "If it's favorable, we'll go ahead [with Kingdom Community Wind]. If it's not, we won't."

Most Lowell residents are aware that they will get to vote on Kingdom Community Wind, Pion said.

A public vote would take place right before GMP hopes to apply to state regulators for a certificate of public good for the project.

Pughe and other GMP officials met with reporters and the editorial board of The Caledonian-Record Tuesday in advance of a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Lowell Graded School.

On Thursday, GMP and Vermont Electric Cooperative representatives will talk about the project with residents from Lowell and area towns.

The meeting will be moderated by Bill Stenger, Jay Peak Resort CEO and co-owner.

GMP and the co-op are partners in the wind development, which could bring 16 to 24 large turbines to the ridgeline. The development would have the capacity to generate between 40 and 60 megawatts of electricity for both utilities.

No Municipal Tax Burden

GMP has come close to a deal with Lowell selectmen about annual payment in lieu of taxes to the town of Lowell for the wind site, GMP and town officials said.