Wind power, like solar power, is regulated by the Vermont Public Service
Board, rather than local towns or regional planning agencies, when the
power is fed into the grid.
The only way Waitsfield or any Valley town will be able to have a say on
the placement of wind farms or solar farms is to have addressed the
issue at the Town Plan level and to have spelled out specifics in terms
of location, impacts, aesthetics, etc.
It is only a matter of time before wind proposals for The Valley's
ridgelines will be submitted to the state. It's a question of when, not
if. Similarly, it is only a matter of time before a large-scale solar
energy farm is proposed for The Valley.
As the Waitsfield Planning Commission discovered during its recent
meeting, the onus is on local towns to take proactive steps towards
determining how renewable energy systems look in each community,
particularly since 75 percent of Waitsfield residents who responded to a
Town Plan survey favor wind farming - but want more details.
The time to do this work is now, not just in Waitsfield but in the other
Valley towns. If local towns don't have their own policies regarding
alternative energy spelled out, the ability to have a say in what
develops here will be lost.
Critical decisions that will impact The Valley's viewsheds,
high-elevation ridgelines, rural character, etc. will be made at the
state level without local guidance and input.
The time to start that process is now.
{loadnavigation}
