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NVDA Completes Revised Energy Plan

The Caledonian-Record (VT)|Jeanne Miles, Staff Writer|May 3, 2006
VermontGeneralEnergy PolicyZoning/Planning

The Northeastern Vermont Development Association has completed a revised draft of its regional plan pertaining to energy issues. During public hearings in December most people spoke against commercial wind turbines and urged NVDA to eliminate language in the proposed plan that endorsed commercial wind turbines.... The revised plan, which will be discussed by NVDA's executive board Thursday night, states that wind power could be considered as a resource, but that there are several other renewable sources that have potential to provide electricity to the area.


Heeding concerns expressed by the public about a proposed regional plan, the statement "wind towers should be seen as beneficial to the region" has been stricken from a second proposal.

The Northeastern Vermont Development Association has completed a revised draft of its regional plan pertaining to energy issues. During public hearings in December most people spoke against commercial wind turbines and urged NVDA to eliminate language in the proposed plan that endorsed commercial wind turbines.

"This draft plan is more comprehensive and thoughtful than the first," NVDA Executive Director Steve Patterson said Monday.

The revised plan, which will be discussed by NVDA's executive board Thursday night, states that wind power could be …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]
Heeding concerns expressed by the public about a proposed regional plan, the statement "wind towers should be seen as beneficial to the region" has been stricken from a second proposal.

The Northeastern Vermont Development Association has completed a revised draft of its regional plan pertaining to energy issues. During public hearings in December most people spoke against commercial wind turbines and urged NVDA to eliminate language in the proposed plan that endorsed commercial wind turbines.

"This draft plan is more comprehensive and thoughtful than the first," NVDA Executive Director Steve Patterson said Monday.

The revised plan, which will be discussed by NVDA's executive board Thursday night, states that wind power could be considered as a resource, but that there are several other renewable sources that have potential to provide electricity to the area. These include hydroelectric, solar, methane and biomass. This last resource has the most potential to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, the plan states. "Wood chips, wood pellets, biodiesel and grass pellets hold the greatest potential for Vermont ...," the plan recommends.

NVDA recognizes there are legitimate concerns surrounding commercial-scale wind generation, the draft continues. These will be addressed through the Section 248 permit process before the state Public Service Board. NVDA wants the PSB to go beyond and the plan asks the board to consider individual town plans, bylaws and input from communities affected. "Whether strongly opposed or entirely supportive of commercial-scale wind generation, town plans shall still be in compliance with the regional plan," the draft plan states. Other requests from NVDA include detailed plans on how the project would benefit an area, decommissioning the project and the energy produced must "significantly outweigh the potential negative visual impact."

NVDA plays two roles in the three-county region: one is to bring economic development to the area; the second is to provide guidelines for regional planning, working as the regional planning commission. The regional plan must be updated every five years. The existing plan, written in 2000, does not address large, commercial wind development. With the emergence of proposed major wind projects slated for East Haven, Sheffield, Sutton and Lowell, NVDA has been forced to take a position. The region includes the 55 towns in Caledonia, Orleans and Essex counties.

The regional plan addresses other issues such as housing, land use, agriculture and child care. No one had any quarrel with these sections of the plan.

If the proposed draft plan is accepted by the executive board Thursday night, the plan will go before the whole NVDA board for approval, Patterson said. Then it will go to the public for comments. Thursday's meetings will be held in the Charles Carter Center in the St. Johnsbury-Lyndon Industrial Park and will begin at 6:30 p.m.


Source:http://www.caledonianrecord.c…

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