Wind Power a Vexing Question for Vermont

SHEFFIELD, Vt. – When farmer Greg Bryant first heard about plans for windmills along a swath of mountain ridges in this northeastern Vermont hamlet, he was all for it. The idea of tapping a plentiful natural resource for power was appealing.

Now he’s dead set against it, one of many people here who fear the prospect of 400-foot tall windmills sprouting from the tops of picturesque mountains.

For a state that normally prizes environmental initiatives, the debate over wind power poses a thorny dilemma. Eager to embrace clean energy but leery about spoiling views, some communities are putting up stiff opposition to plans for new wind projects.

“It’s a reflection of the deep environmental consciousness of this state,” said environmentalist Bill McKibben, an author who has written about global warming. “People are rightly deeply attached to their landscape and they’ve done a terrific job in protecting it over the years.”

AP