[at-l] Possible Wind Mill on Killington

[MrsGorp@aol.com (MrsGorp@aol.com)]

Here's the article that appeared in the Rutland Herald:

Windmill proposed for Killington

January 10, 2002

By BRENT CURTIS Herald Staff=20

KILLINGTON =E2=80=94 Vermont=E2=80=99s ski resorts could become the state=
=E2=80=99s newest source of=20
=E2=80=9Cgreen=E2=80=9D energy under a plan to harness wind using $500,000 i=
n federal funds.=20


Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt., said Wednesday that he wanted the state to set a=
n=20
example for the rest of the nation by pursuing and promoting wind energy.=20

=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s time to commit to clean and renewable resources,=E2=
=80=9D Jeffords said during=20
a press conference at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel. =E2=80=9CWhat bette=
r place=20
than Vermont to begin?=E2=80=9D=20

The state=E2=80=99s ski resorts would be the most logical and profitable pla=
ces to=20
harness wind, he said.=20

Killington Resort would probably host the first windmill, resort President=20
Allen Wilson said.=20

Right now, he said, officials are eyeing the south ridge of the mountain,=20
where winds are fairly constant, as a possible spot for the mill.=20

=E2=80=9CWe hope to get something in the ground in the next 12 months,=E2=
=80=9D Wilson said.=20


Other resorts in the state have expressed interest in harvesting wind.=20

Jeffords said wind energy was a cheap and clean alternative to other forms o=
f=20
energy, such as coal, which is burned to generate most of the nation=E2=80=
=99s power.=20


His vision, he said, is to hold up Vermont=E2=80=99s initiative to spur othe=
r states=20
and nations to invest in wind harvesting.=20

=E2=80=9CWe=E2=80=99re partnering with the ski areas, in part, to tap their=20=
marketing skills=20
to promote wind energy to the rest of the country,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=
=9COther ski=20
areas overseas can help make it happen around the world.=E2=80=9D=20

Parts of the federal grant would also be used to analyze potential locations=
=20
for wind farms and to develop wind turbines =E2=80=94 work that might be don=
e at one=20
of the state=E2=80=99s colleges.=20

Jeffords acknowledged that the $500,000 grant wouldn=E2=80=99t be enough to=20=
place=20
windmills at most of the state=E2=80=99s ski resorts, but he said he hoped t=
o procure=20
more funding for wind energy projects in the future.=20

=E2=80=9CDevelopment will be limited initially by money, but we=E2=80=99re l=
ooking toward=20
the future,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CI want to make wind energy a higher p=
riority.=E2=80=9D=20

Gov. Howard Dean said harvesting the wind was also a matter of national=20
security since it had the potential to make the nation less reliant on=20
foreign fuel supplies.=20

=E2=80=9CRight now, we=E2=80=99re depending on countries that don=E2=80=99t=20=
necessarily share our=20
values to fill our needs,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s important=20=
for us to become energy=20
independent.=E2=80=9D=20

Dean said power from the wind farms could replace diesel-powered generators=20
that the resorts sometimes use for snowmaking. Excess power also could be=20
sold to power companies at low costs.=20

>From an aesthetic standpoint, Dean said, some of the grant money would be=20
used to study designs and placement techniques that would limit the windmill=
s=20
visible impacts.=20

He said officials wanted to steer clear of undeveloped heights where a=20
windmill would be out of place.=20

=E2=80=9CI wouldn=E2=80=99t put one on top of Camel=E2=80=99s Hump, but I wo=
uld put one where there=20
is an infrastructure already set up. In my view, ski areas are exactly the=20
place to have a windmill,=E2=80=9D Dean said.=20

Contact Brent Curtis at brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com

   =20



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