Wind Power Touches Town Meetings

The work of a college senior will affect a number of town meetings this year.

I’m Jon Greenberg with this town meeting minute.

A couple of years ago, Laura Carpenter was taking a class in Environmental Politics at the University of New Hampshire. When her group needed to come up with a topic, she suggested small wind power generators. The state had no guidelines to say when these backyard systems should be allowed. Carpenter’s team wrote a sample bill and it became state law last year.

Now, about a dozen towns are asking voters to approve local versions of that law. Carpenter says, that’s exactly what she hoped would happen.

CARPENTER: I felt that towns on an individual level either had conflicting regulations or were discouraging wind energy systems. :08

By making things consistent, Carpenter thinks it will be easier for motivated people to go green. Town planners say it makes sense to be ready to field proposals for these windmills as support for alternative energy sources grows.

With this town meeting minute, I’m Jon Greenberg.