For GSS Energy Use chapter 10. Excerpt: BURLINGTON, Vt. — Vermont’s
largest city has a new success to add to its list of socially conscious
achievements: 100 percent of its electricity now comes from renewable
sources such as wind, water and biomass. With little fanfare, the
Burlington Electric Department crossed the threshold this month with the
purchase of the 7.4-megawatt Winooski 1 hydroelectric project on the
Winooski River at the city’s edge. When it did, Burlington joined the
Washington Electric Co-operative, which has about 11,000 customers
across central and northern Vermont, which reached 100 percent earlier
this year. “It shows that we’re able to do it, and we’re able to do it
cost effectively in a way that makes Vermonters really positioned well
for the future,” said Christopher Recchia, the commissioner of the
Vermont Department of Public Service. It’s part of a broader movement
that includes a statewide goal of getting 90 percent of Vermont’s energy
from renewable resources by 2050, including electricity, heating and
transportation. ...It’s also a growing movement across the country, as
governments and businesses seek to liberate themselves from using power
produced by environmentally harmful fossil fuels. ...Greensburg, Kansas,
almost wiped out by a 2007 tornado, rebuilt with energy efficiency in
mind. A 12.5-megawatt wind farm went online in 2009, producing
electricity in excess of that consumed by the community of 850, said
Administrator Ed Truelove.... http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/in-vermont-a-milestone-in-green-energy-efforts/2014/09/14/9fc6e2c6-3c28-11e4-a430-b82a3e67b762_story.html. Associated Press, The Washington Post. |
Updates >