WINDHAM — RE: “Bipartisan support for a 'pause?'” [Town & Village, March 6]:
It is critical that Vermonters understand that these senators, joined by State Representatives Carolyn Partridge and Matt Trieber, support Senate bill S30 after careful review of all the issues, including:
• the cost of actual energy produced, both in terms of money and the environment,
• economic impact to homeowners, second homeowners, and tourism, which produces many more local jobs than the wind developers at less environmental impact,
• harm to wildlife, such as the eagles nesting in Townshend,
• watershed disruption, which will increase flooding,
• health concerns of hundreds of families.
Note these facts:
• The project in Windham/Grafton will produce more power than Lowell/Sheffield and Searsburg combined.
• Towers might be {1/4} mile from many residences, not ¾ of a mile, the distance between the Therriens, the family who spoke about ill effects of living near industrial turbines.
• Compared to the top five states, Vermont has 1/2000th of the wind resource but already has developed 16 times its comparative proportion, according to the Department of Energy.
Vermont cannot save the world and has done its share in wind development, but foreign developers can stop us from saving Vermont, and they have more than their share in millions of dollars of tax-credit money taken from your pockets.
Contact your legislators - Senator Jeannette White in particular - and urge the passage of S30 to keep our mountains green.