Kingdom Community Wind - Perspectives On Renewable Energy Development

In this course we will study the Kingdom Community Wind Project in Lowell, Vermont. We will consider the perspectives of the project developers, project opponents, Public Service Board, legislature, and news media, and will examine the role of federal policy. Using public materials from the permitting process and contemporaneous news coverage, we will analyze the case’s issues and arguments and the diverse positions taken by Vermont’s environmentalists. We will ask: How should renewable energy projects be sited in Vermont? Is the existing approval process fair to neighboring towns and landowners? Are the claims of project proponents and opponents accurate? This course counts as a cognate for ENVS majors with a focus in the natural sciences.