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This Web page summarizes wind activity on the following topics for the state of Vermont. Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
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Policies and Guidelines
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This information was last updated on 7/28/2009. In 2005, Vermont adopted legislation (Senate Bill 52) to directly promote a statewide purchase of clean energy resources located in Vermont through long-term commitments, in volumes sufficient to meet future load growth in the state. The legislation did not represent a conventional Renewable Portfolio Standard, per se. Instead, it imposed the prospect of a potential Renewable Portfolio Standard that would take effect in 2013 unless certain goals for renewable energy development are met prior to that date. The law is therefore designed to instigate the state's utilities to meet their load growth with a combination of efficiency and renewables and clean combined heat and power, in effect serving as an economic development program to accelerate investment in in-state clean energy resources. See description of SPEED program, below. The law does not create a market for renewable energy credits in Vermont, but rather encourages sale of renewable energy credits into the southern New England Renewable Portfolio Standard markets. Only if insufficient renewable generation capacity is developed in Vermont will a binding Renewable Portfolio Standard take effect.
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This information was last updated on 7/28/2009. Enacted by the state's legislature and Governor in 2005 (Senate Bill 52), the Sustainably Priced Energy Enterprise Development (SPEED) Program is intended to promote the development of in-state renewable energy resources and ensure that the associated economic benefits flow to Vermont ratepayers. The "SPEED Goal" is to supply all new load growth from January 1, 2005 through July 1, 2012 with electricity generated from renewable energy resources. A minimum SPEED Goal of generating 5% of Vermont's January 1, 2005 load with renewable resources is also included in the law. An additional SPEED Goal is to generate 20% of Vermont's load with renewable resources by 2017. Each of these "goals" represents a non-binding objective — there are no penalties associated with a failure to reach these goals. The individual utilities are ultimately responsible for procuring electricity from SPEED resources on their own initiative since no state power authority has been tasked with the responsibility. As a result, generators interested in providing renewable energy to satisfy SPEED demand should look to individual or joint utility purchasing initiatives, as no formal SPEED procurement proceedings are expected. The Vermont Energy Act of 2009 (H. 446) modifies the SPEED Program by requiring all electric utilities to purchase the production of qualifying renewable energy generators (up to 2.2 MWs) through a cost-based standard offer. See Feed-in Tariff description below.
More Information
Feed-in-Tariff
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. In May 2009, Vermont became the first state in the nation to enact a law creating a full slate of advanced cost-based renewable energy feed-in tariffs. The Vermont Energy Act of 2009 (H. 446) (PDF 106 KB) modifies the Sustainable Priced Energy Enterprise Development (SPEED) Program to implement a cost-based feed-in tariff, including a reasonable profit set not lower than the highest rate of return of Vermont's investor-owned utilities. The renewable energy tariffs are for 20 years, are differentiated by technology and project size, and are subject to biennial review. Through these tariffs, the Vermont utilities purchase all energy, capacity and Renewable Energy Credit value from participating projects (except that farm methane projects may elect to retain the Renewable Energy Credits). Eligible projects are capped at 2.2 MW while the entire program is capped at 50 MW. Program costs are borne by all ratepayers. For current information on rates and terms, see Dockets 7523 and 7533, Implementation of Standard Offer Prices for SPEED.
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Incentives
Some of the available incentives for projects include tax incentives, public benefits fund supported grants and loans, and net metering. Net metering requires electric utilities to permit customers to reduce their electric bills by generating their own power using small-scale renewable energy systems. The excess power they generate can be fed back to their utilities, actually running their electric meters backwards.
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This information was last updated on 7/28/2009. In 1998 the Vermont legislature passed H.605, which allowed "net metering." Net Metering is available to eligible renewable energy systems up to 250 kW. "Eligible" renewable energy is defined as "energy produced using a technology that relies on a resource that is being consumed at a harvest rate at or below its natural regeneration rate." The overall cap on net metering is 2% of the utility's 1996 peak demand or peak demand during the most recent calendar year (whichever is greater), on a first come, first served basis. The Vermont Public Services Board has the authority to raise the 2% cap.
Additionally, Vermont offers a time-of-use net metering arrangement and "group" or aggregated net metering. In a "group" net metering arrangement, the utility issues a single aggregate monthly bill to an assigned contact person, but the actual allocation of credits among group members is the responsibility of the individuals making up the group.
More information about net metering in Vermont is available from the Vermont Department of Public Service and the American Wind Energy Association.
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This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. Vermont has established a law under which municipalities are allowed to exempt wind power from property taxes, but adoption varies between municipalities.
Wind Energy and Local Taxes
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. In April 2007, the Vermont House of Representatives passed a bill that would provide in-state wind generators with certainty regarding their local, annual real estate tax bills. Rather than relying on individual communities to assess wind energy facilities — almost always without comparable infrastructure on which to base the rate — the House bill would create a tax rate applicable to the facility's annual production. As proposed, the tax would be two-thirds or a penny. Other parties, including the Governor, have suggested one-third of a penny per KWh.
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Siting
Wind Siting on State Lands
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. In May 2009, the state passed the Vermont Energy Act of 2009 (H. 446) (PDF 106 KB). The law creates new provisions for wind energy generation on state lands — citing wind's "important combination of environmental, energy, and economic benefits to the state." The Legislature concluded that it is reasonable to site wind energy generation facilities on state lands, including commercial scale projects. Siting must not directly conflict with a specific restriction in federal or state law. Sites for wind energy on state lands are to be chosen and developed in a manner that maximizes energy production and minimizes environmental and aesthetic impacts. The new law explicitly includes Agency of Natural Resources lands (both owned and controlled) as potential sites of wind development.
Wind Power Permitting Process
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. In July 2004, an advisory commission was established by Governor Douglas to review whether the current permitting process is appropriate for wind development. A final commission report (PDF 81 KB) was issued in December 2004, with findings showing that the current process is adequate (with some modifications necessary).
Wind Energy Planning Resources
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. In 2002 the Vermont Department of Public Service, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, held a series of workshops in Vermont to address appropriate siting of wind power projects in the state. The workshops aimed to build consensus among developers, government officials, environmentalists, and other stakeholders. The result of this effort was a summary of findings of the workshops and information for planners and others across the state, including the document "Wind Energy Planning Resources for Utility-Scale Systems in Vermont."
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Transmission, Interconnection, and System Integration
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Other Initiatives
There is currently no other initiative information available.
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Buying Wind Energy
There are currently no wind energy offerings.
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List of Installers and Vendors
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Vermont has a program that loans out devices that will measure wind speed, known as anemometers. Back to Top
Click on the link to read more about the wind resources in Vermont. Back to Top
Read more information about events happening in the New England region.
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Total of 12 records found.
Page 2 of 2, Sorted by descending title
Filtered by: States
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Date   |
State |
Type of Information |
Program Area |
Title |
More Details |
| 3/11/2013 |
VT |
News
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Public Lands
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Case Study: Burke Mountain Wind Turbine, East Burke, Vermont |
...more |
| 6/1/2006 |
VT |
News
|
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Artists Celebrate the Beauty of Wind Turbines: National Exhibit Will Feature Original Wind Energy Artwork |
...more |
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