Editor’s note: This commentary is by Phil Letourneau who is a retired dairy farm from Derby.
[A] wind turbine is proposed in our community in Holland. It will be a single turbine on a local dairy farm. The farmers proposing the turbine literally in their backyard are young native Vermonters trying to keep their farm modern and running against increasingly tough odds. They see the development of this renewable energy project on their land as an additional source of stable income that will help them beat the pressures of volatile milk and fuel prices and allow them to have a more viable farm for their three young boys and themselves. Vermont has gone from having over 10,000 dairy farms in this state to 1,000. Something’s got to change that. Solar and wind can help.
I too was once a dairy farmer in Holland before farming in Derby next door and I see this wind turbine as a property rights issue. I also see it and other wind projects in Vermont as a way to lower taxes, help our schools, create good jobs and be more energy independent as a state. A lot is said about the Northeast Kingdom already doing its part with wind, and we have, but we still rely on a lot of outside energy sources for our fuel and other needs. We all still have a long way to go for more energy independence.
The wind turbine is not a threat to anybodyโs way of life, anybodyโs health or anybodyโs financial well-being โ in fact it will significantly contribute to the townโs taxes.
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I farmed 200 acres in Derby for over 40 years. I pay my property taxes and by and large have been able to do with the land what I think is best. The Champneys proposing the project, every other farmer, and indeed every landowner who pays taxes on their land should be able to do with it what they want as long as it doesn’t adversely affect their neighbors โ including building one wind turbine. As property owners, it is our right to be able to build a renewable energy project that will help them keep farming and produce clean energy. The wind turbine is not a threat to anybodyโs way of life, anybodyโs health or anybodyโs financial well-being โ in fact it will significantly contribute to the townโs taxes. When people interfere with property rights by making false claims about imaginary impacts they are setting a dangerous precedent. No joke — the anti-wind advocate in Morgan is running around telling people that wind turbines kill dogs. And these advocates keep sending in outsiders to meetings up here to stir up opposition based on lies and draw out unnecessary controversy that simply wouldn’t exist otherwise.
In addition to the property rights issue, wind projects bring a number of benefits to our Vermont communities. Sheffield has lower taxes and a sizable rainy day fund, Lowell has eliminated town property taxes for all residents and Milton has seen higher home values. I’ve visited several of Vermont’s wind farms and know them to be good producers and good neighbors. The fact is the vast majority of neighbors have absolutely no issues with these projects. I’ll see this proposed project from my land and I have no problem with that.
I farmed the fields near this proposed wind turbine for decades. I have spent my life and earned my living by turning the sunโs energy into feed to produce milk for people to drink. We should be using the windโs energy and other natural resources available to us to power our farms and homes. There is free wind blowing across Vermontโs farm fields and hills and we should be putting it to good use.
