Green Mountain Power Receives Approval to Build 63 MW Wind Farm in Vermont

The Vermont Public Service Board has approved a 63 MW wind power project in Lowell, Vermont. With the regulator's approval Green Mountain Power (GMP), the state's second largest utility, will begin work on its second wind farm.

The Lowell wind farm will employ 21 wind turbines that will combine to generate 63 MW of clean, renewable energy. In its ruling the Public Service Board noted that the project will not only bring more renewable energy to the state but will also create an "economic boost." GMP estimates the project will cost US$150 million.

This is an investment well spent considering the company's first wind power facility in Searsburg had a record breaking 2010 in terms of the energy it generated. The 6 MW Searsburg Wind Power Facility is the only utility-operated wind power plant in Vermont.

GMP is partnering with fellow utility Vermont Electric Cooperative on the Lowell Wind project which will provide low-cost renewable energy to a combined customer base of 129,000.  When construction is complete, near the end of 2012, the new wind facility will generate enough energy to power 20,000 Vermont homes.

"Vermonters have made clear that renewable electricity -- and, in particular, wind power -- must play an integral role in our energy future. This cost-effective, locally-produced carbon-free power source is a key part of meeting Vermont's goals for new renewable energy," said Mary Powell, president and chief executive officer of Green Mountain Power.

Read the press release at GMP: Vermont Public Service Board Rules in Favor of Green Mountain Power's Lowell Wind Project

Image Credit: redjar via Flickr