A Little Perspective on Solar
Commentary by Charles Russell ,
November 17, 2011, page 2.....

As many of you know, the Charlotte Selectboard has been working on a deal to lease 14 solar trackers from AllEarth Renewables (AER) of Williston that would generate enough electricity to offset the power used by six town buildings. This deal would cost the town nothing (AllEarth would be responsible for any maintenance costs) and last for 15 years – unless we chose to buy the trackers at the end of the lease. If we don’t wish to buy the trackers, they will be removed by AER. The board, working with AllEarth Renewables, considered four town-owned sites and determined that a site on Thompson’s Point was the only one suitable.
In September we applied for a Certificate of Public Good (CPG) with the Public Service Board for a net-metered solar installation. We have held five Selectboard hearings on this project and will hold the final public hearing on November 21 at 6 p.m. At that meeting we will also hear reviews of the project from the Charlotte Planning Commission and the Charlotte Conservation Commission with respect to the project’s conformance to the Town Plan.
As with any proposed change to the landscape, this project has met with some vociferous resistance – especially from some of the leaseholders of Thompson’s Point camps in the area. One of the more difficult issues town boards wrestle with is how to address appropriately the concerns of neighbors concerned with what is proposed in the back yard that they do not own while doing what is in the best interest of the town. We as a board have listened to the concerns but also know that it is not fair to the rest of the townspeople who own the land for the neighbors to have veto power. We have also attempted to minimize the impact on the scenic views of the area by placing the trackers next to the existing infrastructure at Thompson’s Point, namely the wastewater treatment plant.
Now on to perspective: The town-owned lands on Thompson’s Point are comprised of 50 acres leased to camp owners on small lots along the shore and 180 acres of open and forested land in the interior partially leased to a farmer. The land was for a time the site of the Town Poor Farm and has been farmed various ways since – some cattle grazing and hay and corn crops. The area where the trackers would be located is in an area that has not been productively farmed for years. The total land used for this installation is about a half acre out of the 180 acres.
The visual effects of the solar trackers will be felt when travelling on Thompson’s Point Road and Flat Rock Road by car for a few seconds and when walking on either road for a few minutes. The installation is not near any of the camps and will be only barely seen from the second-story window of one camp.
Some of the benefits of this project are: 1) to help fulfill a town plan goal to encourage renewable energy, 2) to insulate the town from future electricity price increases and 3) to help prevent the burning of fossil fuels (kerosene) when Green Mountain Power experiences peak electricity loads in summer. As elected officials representing Charlotte residents, the members of the Selectboard believe we must make a decision that best reflects the interest of the voters as expressed in the Town Plan. To date, the opinions expressed at public hearings have been overwhelmingly from the renters on Thompson’s Point. We welcome the thoughts of other Charlotters.

Charles Russell, Selectboard Chair