Pitch Summary:
Act 174 provides Town planners with the opportunity to designate certain sites as “preferred” for renewable energy development, based on environmental, aesthetics and other local criteria. But the 2017 5.100 net metering rules include a definition of a renewable energy “plant” to be one which is not sited within close proximity of another plant. This definition prevents multiple solar arrays from being located on a preferred site, which defeats both the concept of preferred siting and restricts progress on “90 by 2050”. The legislature and the Public Utility Commission should amend 5.100 to permit net metering solar arrays to be sited within close proximity, so long as they are on land designated by the Town as “preferred” for solar siting. This could also help vulnerable Vermont farmers to lease more of their land for solar, generating revenue to promote their financial sustainability and farm viability.
Submitted by: Sam Carlson – Green Lantern Group
EAN Pitch 8 - Sam Carlson - Green Lantern Group - Preference vs Proximity.output
