Limited benefit, huge costs
www.nytimes.com 6 October 2011
As a lifelong Vermonter, I totally agree with Steve E. Wright’s analysis of the large-scale wind project under construction on the Lowell Mountains of our state. This project represents the triumph of big money, provided primarily through overly generous tax credits, over a creative and balanced approach to meeting our energy needs.
Electrical generation through large-scale wind projects should not be promoted as a one-size-fits-all approach. In a state with limited wind energy potential, tearing off the tops of scenic ridges to erect the tallest structures ever constructed here will have limited impact on our ability to provide carbon-free electricity, at a huge environmental and economic cost.
Vermont has a 50-year history of restricting development of pristine mountain ridges, but now, under the direction of a governor with close financial ties to the utility company that is developing this project, we are at risk of throwing away the scenic beauty that is one of our most valuable resources.
JEFFREY RAND
South Burlington, Vt., Oct. 1, 2011
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/06/limited-benefit-huge-costs/