Top 10 reasons to end the romance with Big Wind 

3. The most infuriating reason: Connecticut, the state that arguably benefits most from the sale of Vermont’s Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), has cast Vermont as a bit player in Connecticut’s drive to use all the energy it wants and feel good about it. Poor little Vermont, with no assets except its cherished terrain, gets to destroy itself so that the good people of Connecticut can leave the lights on all night at splendid play-places for the very conceited.

4. Wait! This reason might be even more infuriating: Vermont’s regular people, citizens of all income levels, will have to pay the most regressive form of economic penalty, now that we are witnessing the crash of the REC market. Power companies like Green Mountain Power are stuck with long-term commitments to pay for expensive renewable energy, such as that generated by the wind installation in Deerfield. They had been planning to offset the cost by selling RECs to Connecticut, but now guess who, that would be you, will be footing the bill in the form of higher electricity rates. The reason? The price of RECs, which had been high, is falling through the floor due to oversupply of renewable energy. Meanwhile, demand is pretty much maxed out by states that have already enacted draconian renewable energy goals, and can’t be expected to do much more in the way of increasing those goals.

Our carbon emissions remain the lowest of the 50 states, and we are near the bottom of the list of per capita carbon emissions by state. We’re already “doing our part” to stop climate change.

5. The most hypocritical and dishonest reason: Wind developers and their cronies never talk about the fact that new gas plants will have to be built to balance wind energy in the regional grid. Natural gas is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. But they say: “natural gas and renewables are natural partners;” “wind gets us off coal and oil;” “wind gets us off foreign fossil fuels;” “wind has the lowest lifecycle emissions of any electric power source.” Oops. They all forget to mention that new gas plants would have to be built as backup for wind-generated power.

6. The best “no-brainer” reason: Vermont has a tiny carbon footprint because of a decade of energy-conservation efforts and our widespread use of clean electricity. Our carbon emissions remain the lowest of the 50 states, and we are near the bottom of the list of per capita carbon emissions by state. We’re already “doing our part” to stop climate change.

7. The most ironic reason: Vermont’s renewable energy program is touted as effective climate action. Yet the current scheme degrades our environment and exacerbates the very climate effects that a smarter, more honest leader would have tried to mitigate. Some of the potential costs: habitat destruction for species stressed by climate change; destruction of high-elevation forests that sequester carbon and provide the best flood mitigation in response to more frequent heavy downpours predicted to result from climate change; destruction of farms, homes, businesses and infrastructure by unbridled renewables profiteers; food security threatened by wholesale conversion of agricultural lands to industrial-scale solar installations.

8. The most ridiculous reason: Through various tax incentives, Vermont ridgeline wind projects would divert huge amounts of taxpayers’ money to international corporations, which would then offer to give back a few bucks to bribe communities to accept their projects.

9. The most obvious reason: State officials have stated publicly that Vermont’s renewable energy efforts will not affect global warming. In fact, Vermont emissions were not considered in the development of Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan. Citizens might wonder why would we agree to destroy our natural heritage, the social fabric of our rural population, and the peace of some of our citizens, for a goal that is purely emblematic?

10. The “who-ya-gonna-trust” reason: While wind developers insist that Vermont communities need to “trust the process” and allow the Vermont Public Service Board to decide where turbines should be placed, many communities don’t agree. We have looked at the PSB’s dismal record of bowing to developers, setting up impossible hurdles for communities and individuals, and allowing developers’ transgressions against individuals and communities to continue and to go unpunished. Many of us want to stop, look, and listen before allowing more industrial wind to be sited in Vermont.

Bonus reason: Vermont laws respect property rights, due process, and the right to compensation in the event of a trespass or taking of one’s property. What the PSB has sanctioned by permitting industrial wind facilities and by failing to punish the owners when they don’t comply with requirements of their permits is illegal and unconstitutional, because it results in trespass on neighbors without compensation.