GWSA Paves the Way (for Paving Vermont's Mountains)
The purpose of the Global Warming Solutions Act is to pave the way for wind turbines. If you had any doubts about that, check out the “celebration” of the bill on VPIRG’s website.
Wind impresario David Blittersdorf says Vermont needs 200 miles of ridgeline wind turbines—more than enough to run the entire length of the Green Mountains.
GWSA will provide him with the statutory justification he needs for waiving Vermont’s social and environmental protections in pursuit of his goal and the attendant riches—all in the name of “solving” climate change.
When the Vermont Legislature overrode Governor Phil Scott’s veto of GWSA, VPIRG “celebrated” by posting a picture of the turbines in Sheffield, Vermont on their website.
Sheffield is an apt symbol for GWSA. It was born of Vermont’s deceitful SPEED program—legislation that enabled Vermont to double-count renewable energy credits. (Everything was fine until the State of Connecticut discovered what Vermont was doing.)
The Sheffield project is a colossal failure. It survives because of tax gimmicks and the out-of-state sale of renewable energy tax credits. The turbines have driven neighbors from their homes, repelled wildlife, degraded the environment, shut down economic activity in the area, depressed property values, and created community rifts that endure to this day.
Sheffield has fallen well short of its energy production goals and has fallen well short of the already-meager carbon avoidance promises that wind enthusiasts made.
The symbol that VPIRG chose for its celebration of GWSA should serve as a warning to anybody who cares about real climate action. That is because:
GWSA gives emissions reduction priority over all other climate action—including environmental protection.
Energy developers will claim that their projects reduce carbon emissions and therefore serve the public good. It will not matter how much they degrade our natural resources and undermine more sensible responses to climate change.
Vermont law gives energy developers special privileges to waive environmental and social protections if their projects serve the public good.
So, if you love a Vermont mountain or live near one, remember David Blittersdorf’s 200-mile turbine plan. The Global Warming Solutions Act paves the way for energy developers to pave your favorite mountain.