[A]fter Matt Dunne’s policy shift last week on the siting of industrial wind projects in Vermont, Democratic gubernatorial rival Sue Minter received praise from environmental advocates for her opposition to giving towns veto power over such projects.
In a news conference on the Statehouse steps Tuesday, Minter was endorsed by the group Vermont Conservation Voters, a day after environmentalist Bill McKibben retracted his endorsement of Dunne and backed Minter.
“Earlier this campaign season, VCV had actually decided not to endorse a candidate in the gubernatorial primary race, and frankly that was due to the similarity between the candidates’ positions on our major issues,” said Lauren Hierl, the group’s political director. “However, we believe that Matt Dunne’s revised position on renewable energy siting would undermine Act 174, the renewable siting bill.”
Although Dunne had voiced support for large-scale wind projects for most of the primary season, his rhetoric changed Friday in a policy statement.
Dunne wrote that “large-scale ridgeline wind projects should only take place with the approval of the towns where the projects are located. As governor, I will ensure that no means no. Towns should be voting by Australian ballot, and if a town says no to a large industrial wind project, I would use all the power of the governor’s office to ensure that is the end of the project.”
Dunne’s shift was criticized at the Tuesday news conference by Rep. Tony Klein, of East Montpelier, and Addison County Sen. Chris Bray, the Democratic chairs of the Legislature’s two natural resources and energy committees. The men were key players in the passage this year of the energy siting bill, which seeks to give communities more say on where projects are built but stops short of letting towns block them entirely.
“It’s essential that, particularly now as this program is just getting underway, that we commit to it, that we work with it and that we don’t seek an out in the form of a veto,” Bray said.
In the news conference, Minter focused broadly on how she would be an environmental steward as governor, including championing green energy and cleaning up Lake Champlain. She never mentioned wind energy explicitly, and the environmental policy section of her campaign website mentions only solar power.
After questions from reporters, Minter elaborated on her wind power position, saying the energy source was a crucial part of the mix in meeting Vermont’s goal of getting 90 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2050.
Minter said she believes the Public Service Board needs to be more open to community engagement regarding decisions on where to build wind projects but that she doesn’t support giving towns veto power for a project.
“I believe in community involvement and engagement in their decisions, but we cannot halt progress,” Minter said. “Climate change is not just real, it is here.”
The former transportation secretary also said she believes the state’s energy production is one of the most promising parts of the state economy and that she would work as governor to facilitate more productive community conversations and a regional planning process.
“Instead of a battle about where people don’t want (wind power generation), where can we site it?” she asked.
After Minter’s event, Peter Galbraith, the third Democratic gubernatorial candidate, appeared on the Statehouse steps, seemingly out of nowhere.
The most anti-wind of all the candidates, Galbraith has said that if he could not get the Legislature to pass a strict ban on wind development, he would appoint to the Public Service Board only people who promised never to approve wind projects.
“Industrial wind is ecologically the most destructive thing that is happening in the state of Vermont, because our ridgelines are the most pristine habitats that we have,” Galbraith said Tuesday.
He noted the evolution of Dunne’s approach. “Matt Dunne’s position is blowing in the wind,” Galbraith said with a smile.
