A new Vermont group in support of wind power has formed, and its members hope to counter the increasingly loud opposition movement.
Wind Works VT is a coalition of individuals and wind power developers, said Kyle Martel of KSE Partners, a Montpelier government affairs and strategic communications firm that represents the group.
Arguing that public opinion polls show strong support for wind power, the group has launched online ads to make the case that wind is a locally generated, clean and renewable source of energy critical to meeting the state’s renewable energy goals.
The individuals and developers behind the group don’t want to be identified, Martel said, “because of the way the anti-wind crowd has bordered on harassment.”
Wind Works VT has been buying ads since July on media websites, including sites for WCAX, the Brattleboro Reformer, VTDigger.org and the Caledonian-Record, he said.
He added: “We do not currently have an exact figure on how much will be spent, but will spend the resources necessary to help more Vermonters understand the important role that wind plays in fighting climate change, reducing our dependence on foreign fossil fuels and helping us meet our state’s goal of 90 percent renewable by 2050.”
Wind critics noticed the group’s ads in July and disputed the accuracy of its claim that wind power will reduce dependence on foreign fossil fuels. Just 1 percent of the state’s energy mix comes from oil, said Annette Smith, executive director of Vermonters for a Clean Environment, which opposes wind projects.
“People don’t understand that when you build more renewables in this big grid system, you’re going to need more of the gas in the form of new gas generators all over New England to meet [peak] load like we are going to experience today,” Smith said.
Though the group announced itself just on the heels of the primary election, it doesn’t plan to become involved in the 2016 campaign, Martel said. But it will be championing wind power at a time when the issue is playing a big role in the governor’s race. Democrat Sue Minter has declared her support. Republican Phil Scott has called for a halt to ridgeline wind projects.
Wind Works VT formed after Vermont legislators this year debated and passed a new wind-power siting procedure and its members worried that what they consider a misleading anti-wind message was taking over, Martel said.
Three Wind Works VT board members are willing to be publicly identified: Jessica Edgerly Walsh, who works as organizing director of SunCommon and is a Montpelier city councilor; Arthur Berndt of Sharon, chair of the Governor’s Council on Energy and the Environment; and Tom Gray of Norwich, former executive director of the American Wind Energy Association.
Wind Works VT is not related to a similarly named group that formed and disbanded several years ago, Martel said.
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Knowyourassuptions, do you have anything to add to the discussion other than simply criticize people individually? And why do you continually put your own words into the mouths of others?
I certainly never professed to be an expert, but I suppose I do have a fair amount of experience in this area. I know others who have even more.
Seems to me postings like yours are reason why many people choose to remain anonymous. Attacking people only shuts off the discussion and turns people away. Or is that your true intent? Because I have certainly seen that behavior in the energy industry before.
If you’d like to talk about energy policy or power engineering, I’d be happy to discuss even more details about why the State’s wind-siting policy seems misguided and unwise. But I suspect all I’ll get from you is further rants or obnoxious behavior. I hope you will prove me wrong.
@ “VtPolicyAnalyst”: Congratulations on granting yourself a free pass to post anonymously while at the same time: a) touting your own credentials to be an “expert” on energy policy (which we cannot refute because… you’re anonymous); b) criticizing wind energy developers from your self-appointed perch of expertise, wisdom, and anonymity; c) hogging the posts on this thread; and d) shilling for anti-everything Annette Smith. Gee, if it’s ok for Mr. Anonymous Energy Expert to remain anonymous then I guess it’s ok for the rest of us, too.
On an unrelated note, it makes no sense whatsoever that many State officials and pro-renewable folks keep lumping solar and wind energy in the same grouping. Their inputs, impacts, distribution, and production are completely different.
This is like lumping nuclear energy in with natural gas. Totally different, in almost every respect.
Why many solar proponents keep aligning with wind baffles me. In my opinion, it hurts their own industry and holds them back.
Since I was just brought up into discussion by knowyourassumptions.
I am a former DOE (Department of Energy) employee, and have a graduate degree in Public Policy Analysis. I wrote my first paper on energy policy as a graduate student back in 1981. Interestingly, it was on the proposed deregulation of natural gas at that time.
I remain anonymous on this forum because SevenDays does not screen nor regulate the trolls who post nasty personal attacks on individuals, rather than discuss the issues.
People would be wise to heed Annette Smith. She knows what she is talking about.
To recap this week, we had three peak load days in the regional grid, 24,000 to 25,000 MW load that had to be met. Of that, wind energy in the regional grid — which now has more than 1000 MW of wind built at a cost of billions of dollars — produced about 115 MW each day. This illustrates Ben Luce’s scientific finding that we could build out all the wind resource in New England and it would have a miniscule effect. Wind Wrecks Vermont and New England wherever it is built. If you are uncertain, take a look at this http://www.caledonianrecord.com/opinion/le…
KNOWYOURASSUMPTIONS: Whatever side your on, it would be nice to know who is posting opinions. Special interests love to hide behind anonymity and light fires. So what is your true identity?
“KNOWYOURASSUMPTIONS: You are certainly entitled to your opinion. But to hide behind an anonymous username”
You mean like “VTPolicyAnalyst,” who’s put 6 posts on this thread already?
Another anonymous poster bashing Annette Smith. Where has she ever stated that she opposes renewables? I do not oppose renewables either. Just the attitude that any “site is a good site”.
Does it occur to you that there might be operators within the industry that doesn’t have our best interest at heart? When big tobacco put out their studies that smoking was harmless, did you believe them? Of course not. They issued those studies to circle the wagons. This organization Wind Works, is doing the same thing. She was pointing out that wind doesn’t work during a peakload. Check the sources that she cited. It is the industry’s own data.
The venom coming from the anonymous crowd is very telling.
Please show the supposed “facts” you are alluding to? And just why are you promoting a totally unsubstantiated made-up scenario that Annette is the same as another poster here?
Annette is not against renewables. She has stated she has solar. I believe she supports other types, as well, such as biomass. I have never met the woman, but she walks the talk, living off-the-grid in a low-consumption lifestyle. Do you and others who attack her do this?
The Doyle Poll showed that 90% of respondents want more local control on renewable siting. This was one of the highest numbers EVER on any Doyle Poll over many decades. THIS is a fact.
Annette stands for reasonable approaches on renewable energy siting, and truly protecting the environment. Not destroying what people love about VT, simply for the financial gain of a handful of individuals and often out-of-state interests, while contributing next to nothing to our overall energy supply.
Folks would be wise to review her material, and listen to her. Not attack her because one has some idealized view that somehow ridge-line development in VT is going to miraculously save the world. In the end, we’ll have destroyed our Green Mountain ecosystems for nothing, and Climate Change will continue unabated until we drastically reduce consumption. Rather than attack her, I suggest you attack the wasteful behavior you see all around you.
MY ANSWER: Less consumption. More efficiency of homes. Solar and small scale wind turbines on business, farms and homes. Solar window panes.Solar roadways. Eating a vegetarian diet (yes, THAT really does work against cutting carbon!).
All of these things make more sense than what industrial wind OPPORTUNISTS keep telling us. Me? Not buying that cow~
I’m thinking 20 people are gonna “dislike” me immediately because: a.)I can’t see the *big* pictures of industrial wind taking over our precious Green Mountains or b.) they are paid trolls to do so.
Happy Friday Afternoon!