Wind power in Vermont

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1941 wind turbine on Grandpa's Knob

As of 2012, Wind power in Vermont consists of 109 megawatts (MW) of operational wind farms. Together these wind projects would meet the electrical needs of approximately 56,000 average Vermont households (approximately the size of Windsor County).[1]

The first megawatt turbine in the world was installed at Grandpa's Knob, in Vermont, in 1941.[2]

Contents

Operating and under construction[edit]

Name Capacity
(MW)
Power
(MW·yr/yr)
Location
(county)
Status
Georgia Mountain 10 - Chittenden County
Franklin County
Operating
Searsburg   6 Bennington County Operating
Sheffield 40 13 Caledonia County Operating
Kingdom Community 63 21 Orleans County Operating
Total: 119  

The 6 MW Searsburg Wind Farm has operated since 1997. The 550-kilowatt turbines provide enough electricity to meet the needs of 1,600 average Vermont households.[1]

Sheffield Wind Farm is a 40 MW wind farm operating in Sheffield owned by First Wind.[3]

The 63 MW Kingdom Community Wind Farm is operational on Lowell Mountains ridge in Lowell, owned by Green Mountain Power (GMP) and Vermont Electric Co-op (VEC).[4] Costing $156 million,[5] the 21-turbine project began construction in September 2011, with completion expected by the end of 2012.[6][7]

Georgia Mountain Community Wind Project is an 4-turbine, 10-megawatt wind project on Georgia Mountain in the towns of Georgia and Milton.[8] It is owned by a Vermont family and the power is being sold the Burlington Electric Department.[9] It was completed in December 2012. The project’s 4 wind turbines will provide enough electricity to meet the needs of 4,200 average Vermont households.[1]

Generation[edit]

Wind Generation (MWh)[10]
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
33,000 13,892 11,589 10,235 10,511 10,688 11,486 11,364 10,829 10,372 12,133 12,249 13,604

Proposed[edit]

The 30 MW Deerfield Wind Project is located in Searsburg and Readsboro, and will include 15 turbines and provide enough electricity to meet the needs of 13,000 average Vermont households. Approximately 250 jobs will be created during construction and 9 permanent jobs. The project is expected to contribute $10 million in state Education Fund revenues over its 20-year life.[1]

Small wind turbines[edit]

Several 100 kW wind turbines manufactured by a Vermont company have been installed or planned at locations in the state, including Heritage Aviation, Bolton Ski Area, Dynapower, Rock of Ages, Burke Mountain, and the Lake Champlain Ferry at South Hero. Smaller wind turbines for residential use are also located throughout Vermont.[1]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e NRG Systems. "Wind in Vermont". 
  2. ^ Wind Energy Systems
  3. ^ "Welcome to Sheffield Wind". First Wind. Retrieved 4 October 2011. 
  4. ^ "Kingdom Community Wind". Retrieved 4 October 2011. 
  5. ^ Gram, Dave (September 29, 2011). "Anti-wind occupation begins on Vt. Lowell Mountain". Associated Press (AP). Retrieved 4 October 2011. 
  6. ^ "Construction begins on 63MW wind farm in Vermont". BrighterEnergy.com. September 12, 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011. 
  7. ^ Smith, Robin (October 4, 2011). "Lowell Wind Road Construction Continues". Orleans County Record. Retrieved 4 October 2011. 
  8. ^ "Where Are We?". Georgia Mountain Community Wind. Retrieved 4 June 2013. 
  9. ^ "What Are We?". Georgia Mountain Community Wind. Retrieved 4 June 2013. 
  10. ^ "Generation Annual". U.S. Department of Energy. July 10, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012. 

External links[edit]