NRG Systems - Wind in Vermont

Vermont generates less than one percent of its power from the wind now, but this may change, as wind is fast becoming a cost-competitive form of generating electricity. Conservatively, industry experts believe that developing just a half dozen of the best sites in Vermont could produce 10% of the state’s electricity. At this time, only one commercial wind project is operating in Vermont — generating just 6 megawatts of power — leaving this clean energy source largely untapped in the Green Mountain State.

Vermont’s Operating Wind Energy Projects

Searsburg: The Searsburg project marked Vermont’s entry into commercial-scale wind power with the development of Vermont’s first utility-owned wind farm in 1996. Eleven wind turbines generate approximately 14 million kilowatt-hours per year, enough electricity to supply the annual electricity needs of 2,000 average households. Green Mountain Power Corporation received supplemental funding from the Department of Energy (DOE) and Electric Power Research Institute to fund this project.

Vermont’s Proposed Wind Energy Projects

Mt. Equinox: This proposed project would be on Little Mount Equinox in Manchester. The project would have the ability to generate 23 million kilowatt hours or enough to power 4,000 homes.

Lowell Mountain: This proposed project would consist of 12 to 26 turbines (20 to 40 MW) that could provide electricity for up to 13,000 homes. The project is in the early stages of data collection and environmental assessment to determine its feasibility.

Searsburg Expansion: Green Mountain Power Corporation and EnXco are exploring a 20- to 30-turbine expansion of the Searsburg wind farm. The additional turbines would increase the capacity of the project to 40 megawatts—and is expected to produce enough electricity to meet the annual average electricity needs of 13,000 homes.

Sheffield/Sutton: UPC modified its original plans to install 20 wind turbines on Hardscrabble Mountain, reducing the project to 16 2.5 megawatt wind turbines and eliminating the installation of turbines on Hardscrabble. The 40-megawatt project, which proposes to install two turbines in Sutton and 14 in Sheffield, will generate enough electricity to power 15,000 homes.

Grandpa’s Knob (Pittsford area): Noble Environmental has plans to develop a 50-megawatt wind farm on Grandpa’s Knob near Pittsford. The Public Service Board has approved the installation of two measurement towers on the site, which was the birthplace of large scale wind with the installation of the world’s first utility scale wind turbine in the 1940s.