home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
- Path: sparky!uunet!paladin.american.edu!auvm!IGC.APC.ORG!TGRAY
- X-From_: tgray Mon Jan 25 11:27:51 1993
- Message-ID: <9301251927.AA25373@igc.apc.org>
- Newsgroups: bit.listserv.biosph-l
- Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 11:27:59 PST
- Reply-To: Tom Gray <tgray@IGC.APC.ORG>
- Sender: List Owner <davep@acsu.buffalo.edu>
- Comments: Resent-From: Tom Gray <tgray@igc.apc.org>
- Comments: Originally-From: Tom Gray <tgray@igc.apc.org>
- Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was mail2conf@IGC.APC.ORG
- From: Tom Gray <tgray@IGC.APC.ORG>
- Subject: --VT Utility Seeks Windfarm Permits
- Lines: 77
-
- /* Written 11:22 am Jan 25, 1993 by tgray@igc.apc.org in igc:en.energy */
-
- GREEN MOUNTAIN MOVES
- AHEAD ON PERMITTING
-
- Green Mountain Power Corp. (GMP) said it plans to continue working
- to obtain permits for two wind projects in southern Vermont
- regardless of whether the sites are developed in the immediate
- future.
-
- The utility, which is based in South Burlington, VT, had proposed
- wind power plants at the sites along with another in western
- Massachusetts in response to a request for proposals for "green
- power" from New England Power Co. (NEPCO) (see Wind Energy Weekly
- #477, December 16, 1991, p. 5).
-
- Subsequently, NEPCO notified GMP that two of the three proposals,
- totalling 17 MW in capacity, had been selected as part of a
- "Negotiating Group" for further discussions and possible power
- contract negotiations.
-
- The projects chosen by NEPCO for further discussion include a 7-MW
- proposal for a wind facility in the town of Florida, Mass., and a
- 10-MW proposal covering a project in the southern Vermont towns of
- Searsburg and Readsboro.
-
-
- However, GMP said recently in a newsletter on its wind activities
- that it plans to go forward with permitting on both the
- Searsburg/Readsboro site and another on the Hoosac Range in
- Stamford and Readsboro, "based on our belief that wind power will
- provide an environmentally sound and economical source of new
- energy in the not-too-distant future.
-
- "This belief is a result of the wind resource and environmental
- studies we have conducted at these site areas since 1980; the
- experience we have gained operating turbines atop Little Equinox
- Mountain; and the generally favorable reaction to our plans by . .
- . local town officials and environmental groups."
-
- GMP is working on Special Use Permit Applications to be filed with
- the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for the Vermont sites, and is
- coordinating its plans with the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB)
- and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The projects, it
- said, will require a Certificate of Public Good from the PSB in
- addition to the USFS permits.
-
- The permitting process in Vermont is of special interest because
- the state's environmental community is strong and well-organized
- and highly sensitive to development on visible mountain ridgelines.
- Although the PSB has generally sought to encourage renewable
- energy, private developers have expected the windfarm siting
- process to be long and difficult, and have opted to pursue
- opportunities in other states.
-
- ===============================
-
- The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has authorized me to offer
- an electronic edition of its newsletter, _Wind Energy Weekly_, from
- which the above article is excerpted, at no cost.
-
- For those of you who have not previously seen excerpts from back issues
- on Usenet or Bitnet, the _Weekly_ reports on the outlook for renewable
- energy, energy-related environmental issues, and renewable energy
- legislation in addition to wind industry trade news. The electronic
- edition normally runs about 10kb in length.
-
- If you would like a free electronic subscription, send me an e-mail
- request. Please include information on your position, organization,
- and reason for interest in the publication.
-
- If the _Weekly_ is not quite for you, please pass this message on to
- someone else you think might be interested. Thanks.
-
- *******************************************************************
- Tom Gray EcoNet/PeaceNet: tgray@igc
- Internet/Bitnet: tgray@igc.apc.org UUCP: uunet!cdp!tgray
-