That April editorial pointed out that alternative energy installations
should not be happening in a void. There should be community consensus
and forethought to what types of installations are appropriate and where
they are appropriate.
The Vermont Public Service Board currently permits solar and wind
systems that feed into the existing grid. The board is advised to take
heed of the Town Plan, but that's about it when it comes to local
involvement.
The best defense for towns is a strong offense and strong and decisive
Town Plan language on where collectively communities want to see solar
panels and wind towers.
With such language in hand, the notion of a solar orchard is intriguing.
Whether publicly or privately (or a public/private partnership) owned,
it makes sense for a community to collectively plan where to install
alternative energy systems. That way planners/applicants can work
together to determine whether the site will work, whether it will gore
too many neighboring oxen and/or neighbors' views.
Love 'em or hate 'em - the solar trackers along Route 100 generate a
strong response from people who live here and people who visit here.
There may be a better place to locate solar trackers for all of us and
it may not need to be along a scenic corridor and within everyone's
viewshed.
The notion of being able to buy a solar tracker in a community orchard
would allow someone with a small or north-facing lot to participate.
(And perhaps ultimately Vermonters living in their cloudy northern
climes will be able to buy trackers in sunny Arizona or Texas or Utah!)
But, before that can happen, communities need to decide where
alternative energy systems should go and write standards outlining that
planning into their Town Plans.
Through the planning process, communities can control their own destinies.
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