This Week: Energy Conferences, ANR Appeals, Petition and more – 9/23/11
We are entering into energy conference season! If you are interested in energy in Vermont and want to meet others, influence the discussion, and educate yourself there are a lot of events you should consider attending over the next couple of months.
Most notably:
- Vermont Renewable Energy Conference - October 11th – 12th – Burlington, VT
- Montpelier Beaming Bioneers Conference - October 14th – 16th – Montpelier, VT
- Vermont Environmental Action Conference - October 29th – Randolph, VT
- Community Energy and Climate Action Conference - December 3rd – Fairlee, VT
I’ll likely be at most of these, so look for me with my name tag and say, “Hi.” Now for the news. We joined in with a group of neighbors around the Lowell wind project to appeal the Agency of Natural Resources stormwater permits. You can download our release on the subject to understand why and get more details. This news was covered in a couple of outlets including the Barton Chronicle and the Caledonian-Record. The Lowell project in general received some press this week, including an article about how it is continuing even though many oppose it in Vermont Business Magazine. Also this week, folks passed on to me a petition at Change.org asking our elected officials to stop the Lowell wind project. At press time the petition had over 600 signatures from all over the world. Lastly on the Lowell wind project, we updated our documents section with everything filed in the PSB case, including the Army Corps 404 permit.
A couple of other renewable energy topics made the news this week. The Caledonian-Record reported that the developers of a wind project in Derby and planning to file with the PSB. Brian Fitzgerald from the Agency of Natural Resources talked about how seeing new hydro sites in Vermont is very unlikely. Also this week a Grist.org opinion piece got passed around, encouraging small communities, like many of those in Vermont, to work harder to move towards sustainable energy.
Do you read these emails but haven’t contributed to Energize Vermont? We’d really appreciate your support and all donations are tax deductible. Please consider giving today.
On another note, I get most of the news in this weekly update from people like you. So, if you see Vermont renewable energy news please send it to me at luke@energizevermont.org.
Have a great weekend,
Luke
The following change.org petition was brought to our attention. Read the message below, and click here if you would like to sign it. Stop the Mountaintop Blast of Lowell Mountain By the summer of 2012 Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom will have 21 460-foot high wind turbines visible along more than three miles of the Lowell Ridge …
Download all the documents filed in the Lowell wind Public Service Board case this week. Including: Army Corps 404 Permit GMP Noise Monitoring Plan Conservation Easements Draft
Reposted here from the Caledonian-Record. 9/23/2011 LOWELL — Energize Vermont joined neighbors to formally appeal water quality permits for the Lowell wind project. The opponents question whether permits granted by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to developer Green Mountain Power actually meet state and federal standards. And they say that the damage …
Reposted here from the Caledonian-Record. Robin Smith Staff Writer DERBY LINE — Developers of two large wind turbines proposed for farms above Derby Line have started the clock on the permit process. Encore Redevelopment and partner Blue Wave Capital filed a 45-day notice last week with area towns that they are about …
Below is an opinion from Grist.org Until recently, the idea of powering a local economy with 100 percent renewable energy seemed unrealistic. That has changed: there’s a small town energy revolution underway. Take Juehnde, a village in the German state of Lower Saxony: it reached total self-supply by 2006 with biogas and wood chip …
This week’s Barton Chronicle covered the appeal of the Lowell wind project’s Agency of Natural Resources permits. It also includes coverage of the proposed Derby wind turbines and several letters to the editor of interest. Download the relevant pages in PDF.
Reposted here from Vermont Business Magazine. Steve Wright said he has a personal and emotional relationship with the landscape of Lowell Mountain. “I very much have had my feet on that ridgeline from end to end for a long time,” he said. A former teacher with a background in aquatic biology and water …
Download the press release in PDF format. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 20, 2011 Contact: Lukas B. Snelling (802) 778-0660 Email: luke@energizevermont.org Lowell Stormwater Permit Appeal Filed Group Says ANR Permits Don’t Meet Federal Clean Water Act and Vermont Water Quality Standards This week Energize Vermont joined concerned neighbors of the Lowell wind project …
Reposted here from the Caledonian-Record. Robin Smith Staff Writer LOWELL — A federal wild and scenic designation would ban new hydroelectric projects on parts of the Missisquoi River. However, a state water quality expert states the issue is moot because there’s no chance that a new large hydro project would be allowed on …
