http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140815/NEWS02/708159951
Published August 15, 2014 in the Rutland Herald
NoSAG likes solar, but...
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — The North Springfield Action Group, which opposed the ill-fated biomass plant in North Springfield, said Thursday it “applauded” the proposed solar facility for the same location in the North Springfield Industrial Park.
But Robert Kischko, chairman of the citizens group, said the town needs to do its homework before signing on to accept electricity from the 2.5 megawatt facility.
“We applaud the principal of building clean, sustainable energy projects such as the solar project suggested for the North Springfield Industrial Park,” said Kischko on Thursday.
But, he said, the town and the community need more information.
“As in the case of previous proposed energy projects, we look forward to open disclosure by the developer of details of the project,” said Kischko.
The developers, Winstanley Enterprises, Green Lantern Capital Group and Wordsmith LTD came before the Springfield Select Board on Monday night to outline their project and to ask the town if it wanted to sign a contract to receive some of the solar power — at a savings over its current bills.
“We are concerned yet optimistic,” Kischko said, adding that state regulators would review the project, including its financial statements, and the use of federal and state energy credits and subsidies.
Kischko said the town should hire an expert to evaluate the offer. One question Kischko had was what would happen to the power contract if the facility was sold.
Kischko said the town had a history of getting involved in badly conceived power projects, and he pointed to the proposed Black River hydroelectric project, which was conceived in the 1970s and abandoned about 10 years later, leaving the town millions of dollars in debt.
Winstanley officials told the Select Board on Monday night that while the developers were proposing five, 500-kwh facilities side by side, they didn’t expect the Vermont Public Service Board to approve all five applications, and that two approvals would be likely.
Town officials expressed both support and concern about the possibility of buying its electricity from the Winstanley-Green Lantern group, noting the town charter likely made a townwide vote necessary for any long-term contract.
This group is solely responsible for the decline of Springfield and Vermont as a whole. Anyone who desires positive growth and a better lifestyle should completely ignore the one sided facts this group presents.
ReplyDeleteNoSAG is a not for profit organization. But they are not registered as a 501(c)3. So where do they really spend their monies? Since when does a political group get to speak for the people of Springfield, VT? Once again, they NoSAG, is speaking publicly for their own causes. How many jobs will this group run out of Springfield under the guise of being environmentally friendly? Solar bad for Springfield? Wake up! Green Mountain Power is a Canadian owned subsidiary, Irving Oil is a Canadian owned subsidiary. I get my electricity from GMP, my propane from Irving. I'm American and you want to rip apart the town using solar...wake up! A couple of wind turbines on Hawks Mountain and Mt. Ascutney would be great. NoSAG would you ban this too? Get real people, and look up these people, their organization, and their legal team. Make a decision for yourselfs. NoSAG is not my mouth piece. How about putting your financial statement on where all your donated monies really go up on your web site, instead of a blanket statement saying our monies goes for legal fees. Get honest here NoSAG!
DeleteThey didn't, as you appear to claim, say solar is bad for Springfield.
Delete"One sided facts"? Facts are facts, old bean. They don't have a "side", unless it be truth. Getcher facts straight, please.
DeleteThough I don’t approve with this group (NSAG), a few good questions were asked surrounding the proposal for the town to sign up. A few months ago, there was a presentation to the school board by the same group purposing they sign a 20 year contract with their firm. A few of the school board members asked the same questions and this topic was put on hold. Maybe the town and school board should jointly research all the actualities to this proposal before signing any contracts. They should stay with the facts and not let their personal feeling toward this subject get in the way of a decision which will affect us taxpayers for years to come.
ReplyDeleteI thought I saw Steve Hier at the Selectboard meeting during the Solar presentation.
Deletemaybe NoSAG should do something about the old north school,
ReplyDelete(tear it down)place is really an eyesore in the community,then they can start on the main st market,clean that end of town up real good
NoSAG is a drag...
ReplyDeleteHow in the world has the town of Springfield survived "pre nosaggers". But on the other hand the only thing they care about is their own back yards. There was talk a few months ago that Entergy might be planning a Bio mas wood chip plant in Vernon. You would think that if nosaggers cared about this, they would be storming Vermont Yankee and the PSB, but wait, not in their back yard, don't care. You people are as narrow minded and hypocritical as any group I've ever seen
ReplyDeleteWe don't need no disgusting solar power that is an eyesore and is only economically feasible with the taxpayers footing the shortfall. Winfanny needs to develop a meaningful enterprise with their own dollars and stop robbing the taxpayers on everything they propose.
ReplyDeletePeople, you should query which towns have the cleanest air in the state. They are towns WITH a biomass plant. NOSAG is full of lies and deceit.
ReplyDelete"This group is solely responsible for the decline of Springfield and Vermont as a whole."??????? This statement will go down in history as the very definition of hyperbole. Yeah.. it's not drugs or poor decisions by government (local or state) or industrial farming or the overall economic downturn. It's a little, local group that was concerned about one polluting project that has caused the decline of the entire state. You would get much farther in life if you spoke about facts and not made sweeping generalizations.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, NoSag is concerned with their own back yard -- that's why it's called the "North Springfield Action Group." Not "Group Against All Biomass Projects in Vermont" or even "Springfield Action Group."
The post you quote was surely intended as sarcasm, tongue in cheek, since nobody could be, ah, thoughtful enough to believe such a claim.
DeleteHow about wind energy? Put a few windmills on Rt 106 and we could use all that hot air coming of the mouths of Dodd, Kischko and Randall to power the whole state.
ReplyDelete