150+ Vermont businesses join in support of renewables, opposition to misguided, unbalanced Senate Bill 30

14 March 2013

Dear Senators,

As Vermont businesses, we want you to know of our opposition to S.30, legislation that began as a three-year ban on wind power development and was amended to significantly impact all new Vermont energy generation above 500kW.

This legislation will hurt local jobs in clean tech and in associated businesses, increase energy costs for homes and businesses, and take Vermont backwards in meeting the goals of our state’s Comprehensive Energy Plan and addressing climate change.  It hangs a sign on the door of Vermont saying, “no renewable energy jobs or projects welcome here.”

S. 30 up-ends the long-held principle that statewide energy siting should be assessed based on the public good. The St. Albans Messenger recently opined that by introducing additional permitting requirements, the current version of the legislation would act “effectively as any moratorium,” a point to which we agree.

This current legislation exempts transmission projects and oil and gas pipelines, while serving as a temporary de facto ban on clean distributed renewables, which produce local energy, local jobs, local economic benefits and keep our dollars in our state.

Beyond its original target of wind, S.30 was expanded to include the development of solar, farm methane, and biomass, among other clean energy sources.

Further, this legislation is out of step with Vermonters’ repeated support for local renewable energy, including wind, in scientific and non-scientific polls alike.  It unwisely legislates before receiving the recommendations of the Energy Siting Commission, which has spent hundreds of hours taking testimony from Vermonters across the state and is actively working on ways to improve the permitting process for all.

Finally, this legislation will drive up the cost of energy for all Vermont homes and businesses.  By making renewable energy more expensive to develop and more limited in its availability, Vermont will have a harder time meeting its existing statuary energy goals, likely increasing cost, and make Vermont more vulnerable in its dependence on out-of-state energy sources.

As a result of these concerns, the following 150+ businesses urge your opposition to this misguided legislation.

Sincerely,

Governor Shumlin

Lt. Governor P. Scott

Pro Tem Campbell

Speaker Smith