Apple Hill residents seek ways to prevent Bennington Solar project

By Tom Momberg

tmomberg@ benningtonbanner.com @TomMomberg on Twitter

The supplemental site plan for the Bennington Solar project depicts the two separate project proposals, both located within the yellow outline, just north of the Vt. Route 279 bypass.

BENNINGTON >> Neighbors of the Apple Hill Neighborhood Association met with Vermonters for a Clean Environment on Tuesday night at the Old First Church barn to discuss options moving forward for fighting the proposed solar project just north of the Vt. Route 279 bypass, abut the Apple Hill Development.

Apple Hill Association attorney and neighborhood resident, Peter Lawrence, has established communication with the developer to mitigate concerns of the neighbors, but they just as well want to look for ways they can prevent the project from taking hold.

There is little possible to prevent the developers from coming in, because as VCE's Annette Smith pointed out, "once they get their standard offer contract, they are locked into the site the towns usually find about it months later, after it is a done deal."

The Apple Hill Neighborhood Association has not committed to intervene with opposition, mostly due to a lack of resources and money to back it up. Smith said the association members will have to be creative, finding other ways to fight the project. State investments and deed restrictions may help their case.

The 2.2-megawatt Bennington Solar facility was proposed by Chelsea Solar LLC, a subsidiary of Minnesota's largest solar project developer, Ecos Energy, which is also in the initial stages of similar-sized solar projects in Rutland and Sudbury.

All three projects followed after the new Request for Proposal process was put in place this year by Vermont's 2005 Sustainably Priced Energy Development Program, or SPEED, which set the goal of having 20 percent of statewide electricity retail sales come from renewable energy resources by January of 2017.

Chelsea Solar was awarded the projects as the lowest bidder, whereas SPEED used to award bids through a lottery. The solar company would enter into contract for 25 years with Green Mountain Power following each solar field's completion.

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Apple Hill residents seek ways to prevent Bennington Solar project