Vermont utility makes wind power a local priority

Vermont’s Green Mountain Power has begun building a new wind-energy project that will generate enough power for more than 24,000 homes.

The 21-turbine, 63-megawatt (MW) Kingdom Community Wind project in Lowell will produce electricity for Green Mountain Power customers and members of the Vermont Electric Coop.

Even before construction has started, the project has generated payoffs for the regional economy. More than 90 different Vermont firms and vendors have participated in the project to date, with more than $4 million already invested in those companies. In the coming weeks, contractors — including Vermont-based contractors like J.A. McDonald of Lyndon Center and Bates & Murray of Barre — expect to add more local employees to their existing base to work on the wind farm.

“This is a local energy project built by Vermonters, for Vermonters,” said Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power (GMP). “Through tax payments to the town of Lowell, the state education fund, the Good Neighbor Fund for surrounding towns and the economic activity created by the project’s construction, as well as competitively priced energy for many years to come, this project is a true win-win for all involved.”

Construction of the wind farm actually encompasses two projects. First comes the installation of the turbines themselves, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. The second project involves upgrades to the Vermont Electric Coop’s transmission system.

“Our 40-year-old transmission system between Lowell and Jay needed to be upgraded to ensure safety and reliability,” said David Hallquist, CEO of the Vermont Electric Coop. “Our members have also told us that they want clean, local and affordable electricity. Our partnership with GMP on this renewable wind project will help us meet those requests in a way that keeps rates as low as possible.”

In July, members of the cooperative voted to support the transmission system upgrades, with nearly 80 percent in favor. The Kingdom Community Wind project also won the approval of Lowell voters at a 2010 Town Meeting Day ballot, with three out of four voters signalling their support.

Kingdom Community Wind received a certificate of public good (CPG) from the Vermont Public Service Board in late May. GMP has now met all the pre-construction conditions in the CPG and received all of the permits required to begin construction, including permits related to protecting water quality that were issued late August.

During and after construction, there will also be biological monitoring of streams — a first for either wind or ski areas in Vermont.

Upon completion, the wind farm will qualify for about $47 million in federal production tax credit that will go entirely to lowering the cost of energy for Green Mountain Power customers and Vermont Electric Coop members.