Wind win
Rutland Herald
Aug. 10, 2007
Approval of a wind farm in the town of Sheffield is a major step forward for wind power in Vermont, pointing the way toward resolution of problems that have slowed wind development till now.

The Sheffield project calls for the construction of 16 turbines that would have the capacity to generate 40 megawatts of power. Vermont utilities would buy the electricity, using it to replace more expensive power, usually generated by fossil fuels.

In approving the project, the Public Service Board weighed its benefits with its potentially adverse effects, including the aesthetic impact of placing 16 420-foot structures on a rural ridgeline. The board also took into account the possible harm the spinning blades of the wind generators could do to birds and bats.

An earlier proposal for a wind farm in East Haven failed to win PSB approval because of concern about birds and bats. Accordingly, the permit for the Sheffield project contains a provision calling for the developer to work with the Agency of Natural Resources to determine the effect on migrating birds. The operator of the turbines would also have to shut them down 120 nights a year when bats are migrating. One hopes that further study, with the help of the agency, will shed new light on bat migrations, allowing the operator to show it need not halt power generation for 120 nights, which seems like a considerable outage.

Cooperation from the agency may be key to furthering the development of wind power. It is unfortunate that Gov. James Douglas has been as reluctant as he has in promoting wind power. If his administration were to take an active role, his agencies could move more swiftly in resolving problems that have slowed the development of wind.

Certainly, wind alone is not going to solve Vermont's energy dilemma or alter the changing climate. But it's worth considering the impact of the Sheffield project. The wind farm's capacity of 40 megawatts is about 7 percent of the capacity of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The wind generators will not be generating power at full capacity all the time, but they will make a contribution. Add the Sheffield project together with three or four other projects of similar size, and wind would provide a sizable chunk of alternative power.

Wind will never provide the base-load power that utilities depend on to run all the time. Two-thirds of Vermont's electric load is provided by Vermont Yankee and Hydro-Quebec, and renewal of contracts with those sources in the coming years, or other major blocks of base-load power, will be necessary to keep the power flowing.

But using sustainable power when it is available offsets the power from fossil fuels — principally natural gas — that is added to the base load to meet the state's power needs. The more that fossil fuels are offset, the better it is for the climate and for the economy.

With the OK for wind power in Sheffield, wind developers can be more optimistic about winning approval for projects elsewhere. A project on Grandpa's Knob in Castleton and Pittsford is in its formative stages.

Douglas' timidity on wind need not slow the state any longer. The PSB has taken a careful positive step that ought to improve Vermont's energy future.