This is an article shows the oppositional view towards the Lowell wind farm project. He makes a lot of interesting points which inspired a letter to the editor frenzy which is in this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/opinion/is-wind-power-right-for-vermont.html
Both sides have some great points, which make this a very complex problem. It makes me wonder about the pros and cons of Vermont energy independence. This sounds weird for a strong believer in renewable energy and environmentalist to say but : I see no great use in Vermont being entirely energy independence. If the cost of wind is flattening great
swaths of ridge line and creating resentment to this within the environmental
community (whom we desperately need the support of) then it’s simply not worth
it. I do agree with down-sizing however. If upstate New York has more support for wind
farms in unused lands and Vermont has better solar and Massachusetts and New
Hampshire offer other alternatives, then I see no problem with this interchange
of energies. Like an energy co-op. It’s a smaller scale, it’s
diverse, and it would only incentivise cooperation between states which is always
good to have.
