The idea of generating enough energy to make The Valley not just carbon
neutral but carbon negative is attractive, but what does it really mean?
Does it mean the wind energy produced will be used locally? Will it
really reduce The Valley's carbon footprint? Will Valley residents and
businesses use less energy?
The answer to those questions is no. The energy created will feed into
the same grid that supplies Vermont, New England and beyond. It won't be
earmarked for The Valley. Because The Valley is currently not creating a
lot of green energy, the wind energy would mean a carbon negative
footprint vis a vis energy production, but it does not change how much
energy The Valley is currently using. Only we can change that - and in
so doing, change our carbon footprint.
Reducing our dependence on oil for energy is critical - and it needs to
be done through conservation and alternative energy production. We need
to be careful, however, that we do not give away a pristine resource
such as the Northfield Ridge without fully assessing the impact.
The question whether 20 wind turbines on the Northfield Ridge (visible
from almost everywhere in The Valley) would be ugly or beautiful is
simply a matter of aesthetics and does not really address some of the
more important questions about this project.
The ridge currently provides deep woods species with undisturbed natural
habitat. It is the location of many high-elevation headwater springs
and streams. The construction would be the most disruptive to the flora
and fauna of the ridge yet the turbines themselves would not require a
lot of maintenance or human interaction once up and running.
It is possible that the impacts of installing wind turbines with the
associated road along the ridge that would need to be kept open all year
round (plowed on winter mornings) could be mitigated. The one acre
cleared around each turbine would be allowed to grow back, all except
for the 900-square-foot cement pad.
Waitsfield voters may be asked to make a decision about changing the
Town Plan before Citizens' Energy has completed its environmental
studies, and that would be wrong. The environmental studies for this
project need to come first before any changes to the Town Plan are made.
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