In February of last year I published one of my few diaries here called Blowing It In the Northeast Kingdom, linked here. In short, the premise was that Vermont may be making a big mistake in attempting to use its incredibly beautiful, economically crucial and ecologically sensitive ridge lines as sources of wind based electric power.
The available wind power from Vermont's mountain ridges is marginal at best. Even the developers acknowledge that the four hundred foot machines will produce only around 30% of their capacity on average over a year. Many who have looked closely at the issue believe that the windy areas of Vermont are being sacrificed to development by Green Mountain Power, not to provide energy, but to generate "green credits" for lucrative sale elsewhere.
In addition, prior to the implementation of the Lowell Mountain project that I wrote about in the first diary, the mountain ridge hosted a critical food source for a large population of black bears. This project has proceeded and we can now see the impact of the construction on this formerly valuable habitat. Pictures below the fold.
Here is an aerial view of the Lowell Mountain ridge line in question before the construction began:
Here is a recent picture of the same ridge line:
Another reason wind generation on Vermont ridge lines is a bad idea is the sensitivity of the streams originating on these mountain ridges. The above site was, and I am not using the past tense lightly here, the home to healthy populations of native brook trout. Here is the reaction from a local group after a recent rain:
Lowell project â storm runoff overwhelms project, floods roads
Town residents say that the impacts from the recent storm were far from routine, despite the fact that the region often has heavy downpours and intense rain events. Erosion controls on the Green Mountain Power wind project site that were supposed to be designed to handle a storm of this magnitude failed. Stormwater came off the mountainâs new impervious roads at high volume with great velocity; sediment ran off into streams and wetlands; and a new stream channel was cut into the mountain. Homes, roads and farm fields were casualties, and dirty, silt-laden water continued to flow off the mountain one week following the May 31 event.
Below is a picture of the damage to a public road below the project:
Many more pictures here.
If one just looked at the short term economics of the project, it is still a bad idea. Vermont's leading job producer and economic engine is tourism. Tourists come to Vermont to enjoy the beauty of the lovely farms and beautiful flora of Vermont's ridge lines. The impact of these projects is going to significantly change the character of rural Vermont and therefore the amount of tourism. Wind power may be great in some settings, but it is a very bad idea for Vermont. Find a lot more information at Energize Vermont