Bat-Taking Permits, An open letter to Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources
Caledonian Record |Rob Pforzheimer|August 8, 2012
These bat species are far more important than First Wind's profits. There's presently a glut of generation in New England and First Wind's intermittent power does nothing more than add to the surplus on the grid. ...First Wind agreed to curtailment during low wind speeds at certain temperatures and now seems to be complaining that such curtailment won't be profitable. Too bad for them.
These bat species are far more important than First Wind's profits. There's presently a glut of generation in New England and First Wind's intermittent power does nothing more than add to the surplus on the grid. ...First Wind agreed to curtailment during low wind speeds at certain temperatures and now seems to be complaining that such curtailment won't be profitable. Too bad for them.
I am writing to urge you not to issue a take permit to First Wind allowing them to kill endangered bats already threatened, to near extinction, by white-nose syndrome.
These bat species are far more important than First Wind's profits. There's presently a glut of generation in New England and First Wind's intermittent power does nothing more than add to the surplus on the grid. The MOU First Wind agreed to with the ANR was made a condition of the CPG granted by the PSB. First Wind agreed to curtailment during low wind speeds at certain temperatures and now seems to be complaining that such curtailment won't be profitable. Too bad for them.
I find it hard to believe that the Sheffield turbines have killed only three bats. How many …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]I am writing to urge you not to issue a take permit to First Wind allowing them to kill endangered bats already threatened, to near extinction, by white-nose syndrome.
These bat species are far more important than First Wind's profits. There's presently a glut of generation in New England and First Wind's intermittent power does nothing more than add to the surplus on the grid. The MOU First Wind agreed to with the ANR was made a condition of the CPG granted by the PSB. First Wind agreed to curtailment during low wind speeds at certain temperatures and now seems to be complaining that such curtailment won't be profitable. Too bad for them.
I find it hard to believe that the Sheffield turbines have killed only three bats. How many birds and raptors have they killed already? Is the ANR simply taking First Wind's word about this? Will the public ever be told the truth about bird and bat mortality in Sheffield, Lowell, Georgia Mtn. and other sites that ANR has permitted?
We need the bats more than these useless turbines and First Wind's subsidized profits. Will the legacy of the ANR under your reign and the Shumlim administration's energy policy be the extinction of bats for the sake of unneeded, environmentally destructive industrial wind and profits for corrupt wind developers?
There are known peregrine falcon nesting sites on Wheeler Mtn., less than two miles from the Sheffield turbines, and there have been numerous sightings of raptors, including Golden and Bald eagles, kestrels, owls, hawks, etc in the area around Sheffield as well as Lowell, Newark,Brighton, Ferdinand, and Georgia Mtn. It would be shameful for the ANR to permit the inevitable slaughter of these species for the sake of profits from generation of power that we don't even need.
Please deny the take permit and enforce the MBTA as well.