Crowd divided on wind project
GEORGIA - More than 150 people gathered Tuesday night in Georgia to debate a proposed five-turbine wind farm on Georgia Mountain, the first commercial wind-energy project up for consideration in Chittenden County.
Some 30 speakers and the broader audience seemed split about the plan as they participated in a hearing before the state Public Service Board, which would have to approve the development for it to proceed.
At issue is whether the Harrison family should win permission to erect five, 400-foot-tall turbines atop Georgia Mountain in the towns of Georgia and Milton.
"If we don't do something where we encourage renewables, Vermont is not going to be Vermont anymore," said Dave Stanley of Fairfax, who told the board climate change endangers two of the state's staples as rising temperatures threaten maple trees and seasonal snowfall. "The whole sugar industry is going to be in trouble. Same with the ski industry."
Countered Erica Berl, who lives on Georgia Mountain in Georgia and identified herself as an environmentalist, "I am all for renewable energy, but I am opposed to this project. We should not sacrifice the unique beauty of our town for the minimal energy this project could produce."
If built, the project would have a capacity of up to 12 megawatts, although, because generation is dependent on the wind, the farm is likely to operate at perhaps a third of that capacity over time.
Development opponents cited concerns about the turbines' effect on the health, property values and quality of life of the project's neighbors. They also worried that the wind farm could harm the environment by threatening local wildlife, all the while generating too little electricity to make the possible harm worthwhile.
Supporters responded by saying the state needs green-energy projects such as wind generation to help fight the effects of climate change. They also said Vermonters should embrace alternative generation proposals because nuclear power plant Vermont Yankee in Vernon faces the possibility of not having its license renewed, which would drive up electricity costs statewide.
The crowd filled the parking lot at Georgia Elementary and Middle School and packed into bleachers and folding chairs in the gym. About 20 people wore T-shirts that read "Support Georgia Mountain Community Wind." The crowd ignored the board chairman's request and applauded for several speakers who opposed the development; later in the two-hour meeting, supporters won applause on several occasions, too. People disagreed about how much noise and power the turbines would generate, and how much, if any, danger the structures would pose to humans and animals.
Wind farm proposal
Source: Free Press
They also diverged about whether the large windmills would be an eyesore or look pretty, and whether people in other states and countries with wind farms liked or hated them.
"This is our home that is potentially being changed in the pursuit of so-called green energy," said Kevin Wimble, whose family runs the Wimble Brothers Organic Dairy Farm on Georgia Mountain. He accused the project's developers of wanting to "make a quick buck" rather than supporting altruistic goals.
Others praised the Harrisons for taking steps to harness a renewable resource and put it to good use.
"There will not be any mountains of coal or tanks of oil," said Allan Richard of Georgia, who lives off U.S. 7 and said he's a neighbor of the project site. "It won't deposit mercury in Lake Champlain and all those tributaries we fish in. Please put it in my front yard."
Public Service Board Chairman James Volz told crowd members at the start of the meeting their comments would be valuable, but the board could not consider the remarks as part of the formal evidence. A public site visit scheduled for Tuesday was canceled because of inclement weather, and Volz said the visit will be rescheduled. Although Tuesday's hearing is the only scheduled public meeting about the project, the board might decide to hold another, Volz said.
Few in the crowd expressed neutral opinions about the wind-farm proposal, but several encouraged dialogue to reach an acceptable solution.
"We've all heard tonight, ‘Yes, we want renewable energy, but not in my backyard,'" said Gary Wright of Georgia, a project supporter. "We have to compromise."