June 1, 2016
Vermont

Shumlin considers vetoing energy siting bill

By Kyle Midura | WCAX | May 31, 2016 | www.wcax.com

MONTPELIER, Vt. –

A bill aiming to give local communities more say in where green energy projects are built may get Governor Peter Shumlin’s veto.

The bill was the source of contentious debate and some big changes were made to it during the last day of the session. Now, Governor Peter Shumlin and key lawmakers say the rush to make a deal may have created some potential problems, especially about noise standards and missing cash for municipalities. Once the governor’s staff picks up the bill, he will have five days to figure out whether to veto it.

“We simply have not figured out how significant the problems are, so once we do, then we can look at the question of do we fix it, or just veto it and move on,” said Shumlin.

The bill allows local communities to draft their own plans for where major solar and wind projects should go. It was spurred by communities angry about big projects popping up. If the governor does block the law, lawmakers could return to Montpelier June 9 to either override his veto or draft an altered measure addressing concerns.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/06/01/shumlin-considers-vetoing-energy-siting-bill/