Please take 3 minutes to call yourVermontstate senators and tell them to vote HELL NO! on Senate Bill S.30, the NIMBY anti-wind power moratorium bill recloaked in “local governance” words in recent days to appear more palatable to fence-riding senators and their voters.
Make no mistake about it… S.30 is a NIMBY bill designed by NIMBY’s in order to serve NIMBY’s. Wind power could conceivably be in serious jeopardy inVermontif this passes. Commercial wind power is a vital piece in solving our future combined energy/enviro problems. Anti-wind groups are blitzing the halls of the Statehouse as we speak in preparation of a possible Friday vote.
If you have children that you like and care about, make the call! Find out who your local state senator is (Google it, if necessary) and call the Vermont Statehouse Sargeant at Arms at 802-828-2228 to leave a simple message in opposition to Bill S.30 to be delivered to your Senator(s) on the Senate floor. It’s very, very easy! Spread the word to everyone you know who understands the vital role commercial wind has in our future clean energy mix. Let’s HAMMER them with calls today! Take an easy step forward for the planet’s well being… A recent poll showed 69% of us Vermonters favor wind power development in our communities. Why should we let the 18% who oppose run the show?????
If you ‘re going to be in the area tomorrow night, we need as many pro-wind people as possible at the NIMBY meeting in Grafton where we are trying to get a wind farm built (see attached meeting notice). Spread the word to pro-wind folks!
The following helpful background information was also recently provided by VPIRG. Please share with others:
1. Oppose S.30: Please vote No on the anti-wind legislation – S.30. We need more clean energy, not less. This bill moves us in the wrong direction.
2. Public Support for Wind: Vermonters want wind. A poll released this week (2/26/13) from Castleton Polling Institute confirms what every previous poll has shown: Vermonters want more wind turbines built on state ridgelines, and fully 69% want wind built in their communities. (Less than 20% of Vermonters oppose wind.)
3. Wind is part of the solution. We need more clean energy for electricity and transportation. (Electric vehicles will need more clean power to be generated locally.) We should be identifying ways to build more clean energy and create more green jobs here in Vermont. By utilizing just 4% of Vermont’s ridgelines we could provide 25% of the state’s electrical needs with wind power. Providing 25% of Vermont’s electrical needs with wind power would offset 1.27 billion pounds of CO2 annually, which is the equivalent of taking 111,000 cars off the road.
4. Problems with S.30. This bill (S.30) puts up roadblocks to renewable wind energy by requiring unnecessary red tape to what is already the toughest permitting process in the Northeast. It also allows wind to be banned for any reason. Vermont should not allow blanket bans on clean energy at the state, regional or local level. Though the bill no longer contains a statewide moratorium, it would allow for local or regional bans on clean energy development. Clean energy is a vital state need; it’s not like building another Walmart. We need state policies and oversight that promote thoughtful clean energy development.
5. VPIRG is also co-hosting a Community Open House party on wind power in Norwich next Thursday, March 7thfrom 6:30 to 8:30. It would be great if you were able to join, or knew of any friends that might be willing to make the trip! Here is the link to the RSVP page: http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5980/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=283142.
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