Industrial wind turbines capture the imagination because they are a visible symbol that we are doing something about the environment. But in fact they are a boondoggle. They have a negligible effect on the environment, while wasting money that might be better spent elsewhere, damaging Vermont's rural landscape (itself a significant economic asset) and transferring a ton of money from the pockets of Vermont taxpayers to the bank accounts of the developers.

Nobody thought the developers would go away when it came to convincing Vermonters to sacrifice their ridgelines to 400 foot wind turbines. Why should they? there's a lot of money to be made!
 
The developers are preying on Vermonters' well-known concern for the environment to sell these things, and they have co-opted 19 state representatives, including those from Brattleboro, Newfane and Chester, to put forward legislation to make it easier for them to put these 400 foot monsters atop the Green Mountains.
 
House bill H.104, sponsored by these same representatives, requires the construction of 200 of these industrial wind turbines over at least 40, and possibly 60, miles of Vermont ridgelines. And this is to be done irrespective of cost!
 
The presumed aim is to produce electricity without producing carbon emissions. But according to the U.S. Department of Energy, less than 1% of Vermont's carbon emissions are due to electricity generation! 56% are due to transportation (cars and trucks) and 25% due to residential use! Legislators would do far better to turn their attention to conservation in these areas.
 
Industrial wind turbines capture the imagination because they are a visible symbol that we are doing something about the environment. But in fact they are a boondoggle. They have a negligible effect on the environment, while wasting money that might be better spent elsewhere, damaging Vermont's rural landscape (itself a significant economic asset) and transferring a ton of money from the pockets of Vermont taxpayers to the bank accounts of the developers.