|
5.1 - Our Profile and Its Impacts |
Vermonters have deeply-held environmental values, and Green Mountain Power strives to operate in a similar manner and maintain its deep commitment to these values. We believe that global climate change presents a compelling reason for us to continue to make every effort to minimize the presence of fossil-fuel generation in our power mix. In 2006, 54.8% percent of our energy came from hydro, wood and wind. In 2006, Green Mountain Power generated electricity without any coal, and only 2.2% percent of our generation was from fossil fuels. EN6
In 2006, Green Mountain Power continued to focus on reducing its environmental footprint through a renewed commitment to reduce climate change risks, to decreasing transportation impacts and composting. In 2007, we are also planning to increase our reliance on alternative sources of energy by increasing hydro generation at our Essex and Vergennes plants and supporting expansion of the Searsburg wind facility.
The Vergennes Unit #1 hydroelectric unit was upgraded from a 650 kw to a 850 kw turbine and generator in 2006. We also ordered a new 850 kw hydroelectric generator for GMP’s Essex plant. Both projects that will be placed in service in 2007 will increase GMP’s hydroelectric generating capacity.
Green Mountain Power is working with a wind developer, PPM Energy Inc. (www.ppmenergy.com) to expand Green Mountain Power’s existing Searsburg wind facility onto adjacent National Forest Service Lands. The project is proposing to construct 17 new wind turbines, which will result in 35 MW of new capacity. Green Mountain Power is supporting the project and reviewing options of participation, including purchasing output from the expansion.
Potential environmental impacts associated with Green Mountain Power originate from three principal sources: power generation from owned facilities; power generation from non-owned facilities (purchased power contracts); and impacts associated with owned buildings, structures, and routine activities (such as owned vehicles and transportation).
In 2006, we had no incidents of or fines for non-compliance with any applicable environmental regulations. Additionally, we have implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) that helps us track of our environmental compliance obligations. EN28
We know that our stakeholders are interested in the types of power we generate and purchase, as well as any environmental impacts associated with them. We have placed a special emphasis in this year’s report on potential impacts from hydro and nuclear power due to questions raised by stakeholders.
5.1 Our Power Profile and Its Impacts
PR1
5.1.1 Generation Facilities
Green Mountain Power owns and operates 11 generation facilities, all of which are in Vermont. These include: one wind plant; eight hydro plants (two have peaking fossil generation); and two fossil fuel peaking plants. We also own interest in the McNeil biomass plant in Burlington, Vermont, the Wyman Station in Yarmouth, Maine, and the Stonybrook Station in Ludlow, Massachusetts.
Most of the fossil-fuel peak generation facilities owned by Green Mountain Power are nearing retirement age. For this reason, we are beginning to replace certain units, including the Essex diesel generators which were replaced in 2007. We will continue to upgrade other units and facilities as the need arises.
5.1.2 Power Mix
Our power supply is evidence of our continued effort to reduce the use of fossil fuels, while emphasizing the use of alternative energy sources. EN6
Table 5-1: Power Mix: 2004-2006
|
Power Source |
Percentage of Power Mix | ||
|
|
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
|
Hydro |
37.5 |
43.8 |
50.4 |
|
Wood |
3.9 |
4.1 |
4.3 |
|
Wind |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
|
Nuclear |
36.9 |
40.6 |
43.0 |
|
Market Purchases |
19.1 |
9.6 |
0.0 |
|
Oil and Natural Gas |
2.5 |
1.8 |
2.2 |
In 2006, we sold more into the market than we purchased. Therefore, for the first time in recent years, we are able to identify exactly the type of fuels/energy used for our power mix, as we are unable to break down market power into specific fuels.
EN1
5.1.3 Renewable Energy Credit Sales
In recent years, Green Mountain Power has sold some of the renewable energy certificates (RECs) associated with its Searsburg wind generating station. The energy associated with those RECs is labeled “market power,” and not wind, as we no longer retain the environmental benefits that are associated with wind power. In other words, rather than asserting that 0.6% of Green Mountain Power’s energy came from wind in 2006, we claim only 0.1% as wind and the remaining 0.5% is considered “market power.” One of the reasons why we sell RECs is because it results in lower power costs for our customers.
Renewable Energy Credits (“RECs”) are financial instruments allowing companies to purchase and sell the renewable attributes of qualifying renewable electric generation. Energy produced by renewable generation facilities such as our wind station and from which RECs have been sold to others, is not counted in our portfolio as wind or renewable generation.
5.2 Hydro
Approximately 50.4% of Green Mountain Power’s power supply in 2006 came from hydro power. Most of Green Mountain Power’s hydropower (75%) was through the contract with Hydro-Québec. Green Mountain Power owns eight hydro power plants throughout the state of Vermont, which provide an additional 16% of the hydropower in our hydro portfolio. The remainder of our hydropower comes from in-state, independently-owned facilities (9%), and from the New York Power Authority (0.2%). For more information, refer to Hydro-Québec’s 2006 Sustainability Report, at http://www.hydroquebec.com/publications/en/enviro_performance/2006/index.html.
Hydropower is an energy source that Green Mountain Power continuously invests in and takes great pride in maintaining. We also recognize, however, that hydropower can have a number of environmental impacts, and we have included a lengthy discussion of these impacts for the first time in this year’s report at the request of stakeholders.
- Hydropower can impact wildlife. Changing water levels can affect species that live in and around reservoirs. Hydropower projects also affect the timing and intensity of downstream flows, which can impact aquatic and riparian wildlife that depend on natural flow patterns. For decades, Green Mountain Power’s hydro operators have worked with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife and other partners to manage water levels at our dams to ensure the safety of nesting loons, and also to maintain the flows needed for wildlife downstream of our dams.
- Hydropower can also alter downstream river morphology, by changing flows and sediment loads, which can impact wildlife habitat.
- Although commonly considered as a carbon-neutral source of electricity, studies have shown that hydropower has the potential to contribute to global warming.[2] This potential exists because organic matter carried from the watershed can decompose in the reservoir to form methane. Although this problem can be significant for hydropower projects in tropical areas, it is believed to be less of a concern in temperate regions.[3]
In 2006 Green Mountain Power continued its commitment to low-impact hydropower by contributing $15,000 to the City of Barre, Vermont, to study the feasibility of generating electricity from micro-hydro sources. Additionally Green Mountain Power has been working with other local communities on small-scale hydro projects. As the name implies, micro-hydro projects are small scale and designed for minimum impact. They take advantage of small sites such as water supply facilities, run-of-the-river, and farm ponds. Although these sources are not expected to become a major part of our power mix, they have to the potential to play a role in reducing the overall impact of our power generation. Funds for the Barre study originated from the sale of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to Entergy in 2001. The Vermont Public Service Board required that these funds be targeted for renewable energy projects. EN26
5.3 Wind
In 2006, 0.1% of our power came from the wind. Green Mountain Power is a recognized national leader in generating electricity from wind in cold climates. When we built our Searsburg, Vermont, wind station in 1997, it was the largest commercial wind plant east of the Mississippi. This emission-free wind plant provides enough clean, renewable electricity each year to power 2,000 homes, keep our air cleaner and prevent approximately 11,000 tons of CO2 emissions (assuming diesel fuel is burned) from entering the atmosphere. After 10 years of operation, this emission-free wind plant continues to provide enough clean, renewable electricity each year to power 2,000 homes, keep our air cleaner and prevent approximately 11,000 tons of CO2 emissions (compared with diesel fuel) from entering the atmosphere. In 2006, Green Mountain Power sold the Renewable Energy Credits for approximately 85% of the output, and so retains the environmental benefit for its customers of only 15% of the generation.
Currently, new wind plants are under consideration in Vermont, including an expansion near our Searsburg site. The new Searsburg facility would have 17 state-of-the-art wind turbines generating 35 megawatts of power, enough electricity to serve 10,000 homes annually. Green Mountain Power is negotiating to purchase power from the developer of the Searsburg expansion project. The U.S. Forest Service is currently reviewing a special use application for the plant, as the turbines would be the first wind energy facility on National Forest System lands in the country. EN26
5.4 Wood/Biomass
Green Mountain Power obtained 4.3% of its power in 2006 from biomass (wood). A substantial portion of this comes from the McNeil biomass facility in Burlington, Vermont. Green Mountain Power has an 11% ownership interest in this plant, which uses sustainable harvesting practices to ensure that land impact is minimized. Burning wood releases oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but CO2 emissions are considered to be sufficiently off-set by the amount of CO2 that trees absorb during their lives.
For specific information on the types of fuel used at McNeil, visit: http://www.burlingtonelectric.com/SpecialTopics/Mcneil.htm. Figure 5-2 shows the amount of wood (in tons) used to support our power profile from 2004-2006. EN26
Figure 5-2: Wood Usage in Power Production (2004-2006)
EN1
5.5 Nuclear Power
In 2006, 43% of Green Mountain Power’s energy came from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
Vermont Yankee’s current Nuclear Regulatory Commission license expires in 2012. In January 2006, the owner, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC (“ENVY”), filed an application for a license renewal with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Green Mountain Power anticipates working with Entergy to negotiate a new contract if its license is renewed, although we will continue to analyze other options should that not occur.
5.5.1 Overall Footprint of Nuclear Power
In this year’s report, Green Mountain Power has elected to include more information than ever before on the overall footprint of nuclear power. Next year, we plan to also include information to address the indicators in the GRI Electric Utility Sector Supplement that pertain to nuclear power. For more information on how our employees view nuclear power, please refer to Section 2 of this report.
Nuclear power continues to be an issue with our stakeholders, including NGOs and our own employees. The following is a general overview of the positive and negative impacts of nuclear power.
- Positive Effect: Low-Carbon Technology.
- The life-cycle assessment of nuclear power generation rates as a low emission technology. Although estimates of gCO2eq/kWh (grams of CO2 equivalent per kWh) vary, when compared to other power generation technologies, including renewable technologies, nuclear power generation has the lowest.
- The prediction that uranium ore resources are going to decrease in availability, thereby leading to the extraction of less enriched ore, has an effect on the carbon footprint of the technology. However the resulting footprint is still very small.
- Contributes to energy security and reduces reliance on foreign oil.
- Low operating costs once the plant is built.
- Negative Effect: Radioactive Waste Generation.
- The wastes generated from nuclear power generation are radioactive, and they can have long-term effects on the environment (e.g., plutonium [Pu] as a half-life of over 24,000 years).
- Although radioactive waste accounts for only 1% of total industrial wastes, the containment time required for this waste to reach levels where it may be treated as a regular waste can be long.
- There is currently no system/infrastructure for storing these materials until they are safe. All storage is considered temporary and most is located on-site at the nuclear power plants. Plans for a permanent storage facility are currently undergoing formation in the U.S., although this remains a contentious issue.
- Negative Effect: Mining.
- The environmental effect of uranium ore mining practices is roughly the same as that of any other mining practice, aside from the added concern of groundwater contamination when leaching practices are employed during mining.
- Negative Effect: Proliferation and Safety Risks.
- The hazardous nature of the byproducts (radioactive wastes) of nuclear power generation is not only a concern with storage, but also with potential malicious acts (terrorism) and accidents.
- The result of a terrorist attack or accident could be a leak of radioactive material to the environment, harming the natural systems in the surrounding area, as well as the community. If certain weather conditions occur at the time of an incident, the affected area can be very large. The effects of radiation can also be long-term, and it can have serious health impacts on a population many years in the future.
- Proliferation is a concern and another reason for security. This would involve the removal of radioactive materials from the facility and their use in the creation of a weapon.
5.5.2 Safety at Vermont Yankee
Safety is a primary concern at Vermont Yankee. Although the plant has a strong record of safe and efficient operation (for more information on Vermont Yankee, visit: http://www.entergy-nuclear.com/plant_information/vermont_yankee.aspx), an incident with the infrastructure outside the nuclear operations has raised local concerns about the reliability of maintenance at the plant. On August 21, 2007, a cooling tower at Vermont Yankee collapsed, forcing the plant to reduce power output to 60 percent. Entergy has determined the collapse was due to an “iron salt attack” on the lumber that makes up the frame of the cells. Cooling tower failures have occurred at fossil fuel generating plants, and do not pose a direct threat to plant safety, but Entergy is reviewing and revising its inspection procedures to ensure that a similar event does not occur in the future.
Nuclear power plants including Vermont Yankee are designed very conservatively to prevent the release of radioactive material in the unlikely event of an accident or malicious attack. Vermont Yankee is operated by a large, highly trained staff, and protected by security personnel.
5.5.3 Waste from Vermont Yankee
ENVY announced that, under current operating parameters, it would exhaust the capacity of its existing nuclear waste storage pool in 2007 or 2008 and would need to store nuclear waste in so-called “dry cask storage” facilities to be constructed on the site. ENVY received approval from the Vermont legislature in 2005 and the VPSB in April 2006 to construct and use Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) sufficient to store enough spent fuel to allow the plant to operate through the end of its current operating license in March 2012. Green Mountain Power supported this authorizing legislation, which requires Entergy to contribute $15.6 million between now and 2012 to the Vermont Clean Energy Fund in support of Vermont-based renewable energy projects. The first casks will be loaded and placed on the ISFSI in the first half of 2008. The dry casks are rated by the NRC for about 100 years of storage life.
5.5.4 Green Mountain Power’s Position on Nuclear Power
As mentioned above, nuclear power has a critical roll to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electric power generation.
Overall, we consider the overall environmental footprint of nuclear to be less than traditional power-generation technologies[4], and we will continue to rely on nuclear as a crucial component of our power mix.
More than half of this country’s electricity supply is generated from burning coal, which is a leading contributor to global warming and health-related concerns. Another 20 percent comes from nuclear power. In contrast, Green Mountain Power uses no coal-fired generation to meet its load, while nuclear power makes up 43 percent of our power supply.
At Green Mountain Power, we firmly believe that our industry and our nation must take aggressive measures to reduce our dependence on coal-fired generation, unless the global-warming effects of coal-fired generation can be eliminated. Nuclear generation must continue to play a role in our country’s future, along with hydroelectric and wind-powered generation. Furthermore, our industry and our political leaders must aggressively seek an effective solution to nuclear waste, whether it is finally locating permanent storage or developing technology to safely reprocess spent fuel. EN26
5.6 Fossil Fuels
Green Mountain Power obtained 2.2% of its power in 2006 from the fossil-fueled facilities shown in Table 5-2.
Table 5-2: Fossil-Fueled Power Sources
|
Facility Name |
Location |
Fuel Burned |
Green Mountain Power’s Ownership |
|
Vergennes Diesel |
Vergennes, VT |
No. 2 Oil |
100% |
|
Berlin Gas Turbine |
Berlin, VT |
No. 1 Oil |
100% |
|
Gorge Gas Turbine |
Gorge, VT |
No. 2 Oil |
100% |
|
Essex Diesel |
Essex, VT |
No. 2 Oil |
100% |
|
Wyman Facility |
Yarmouth, ME |
No. 6 Oil |
1.1438% |
|
Stonybrook Facility |
Ludlow, MA |
No. 2 Oil and Natural Gas |
8.8% |
Please note that in 2006, we replaced WWII-era diesel generators at our Essex Plant with Tier I Units. This is likely to greatly increase the efficiency.
The environmental impacts from burning fossil fuels are considerable. Not only are fossil fuels non-renewable, but burning them results in the emission of hazardous air pollutants and greenhouse gases. This is why Green Mountain Power strives to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and increase its use of alternative energy sources.
5.7 Air Emissions and Climate Change
5.7.1 Our Air Emissions
Green Mountain Power’s air emissions for 2006 are summarized in our Wholesale Power Profile, which is shown in Table 5-3. EN20
Click Here to View Table 5-3: Wholesale Power Profile
Figure 5-3: Trend of CO2 Emissions (2004-2006) – Includes Purchased Power
Figure 5-4: Air Emissions (2004-2006)
5.7.2 Disclosure of Climate Change Risk
Please note that while Green Mountain Power has data on the amount of CO2 that is emitted from our power profile, but we have not quantified all of the greenhouse gases from our direct emissions, indirect emissions, or operations and do not have certain plans to do so. Resources that we may use in the future to disclose our climate risk include the Global Framework for Climate Risk Disclosure (Ceres), the World Resources Institute’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol (Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard), and/or the WRI’s GHG Protocol (Designing a Customized Greenhouse Gas Calculation Tool).
Additionally, Green Mountain Power is planning to participate in the Carbon Disclosure Project.
5.7.3 Programs to Reduce Climate Change Risk
Green Mountain Power is fully committed to reducing climate change risk and recognizes the direct link between climate change and our actions as an electric utility. In 2007, we achieved our goal of becoming carbon neutral in our operations, which includes our offices, facilities, trucks, and all business travel. The carbon neutrality was achieved through various operational changes (biodiesel, alternative-fueled vehicles, energy efficiencies in buildings, etc.), but also through offsets. The offsets for our operations were purchased from NativeEnergy (headquartered in Charlotte, Vermont) and paid for by Gaz Métro.
In addition to our operational carbon neutrality and reduced reliance on fossil fuels as much as possible, we also have introduced a variety of other initiatives, including programs that our customers can participate in to help tackle climate change.
Signatory of Climate Call to Action. In 2007, Green Mountain Power was one of 65 signers of a Climate Call to Action, calling on U.S. lawmakers to enact strong federal legislation to curb the pollution causing global climate change. Specifically, the Call to Action requested three actions:
- Leadership by the U.S. government to achieve sizable, sensible long-term reductions of GHG emissions in accordance with the 60-90% reductions below 1990 levels by 2050;
- A realignment of national energy and transportation policies to stimulate research, development, and employment of new and existing clean technologies; and
- That the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) clarifies what companies should disclose to investors regarding climate change.
The entire Call to Action statement can be accessed at www.ceres.org.
Choose2BGreen. This program, which was announced in 2007, provides customers with a way to neutralize their carbon footprint through renewable power and home heating and driving offsets. Specifically, customers can sign up for three different programs. With GreenerGMP, they may purchase energy from certified renewable resources equal to some or all of their monthly use. CoolHome and CoolDriver provide customers with an option to offset their individual carbon footprint associated with heating their homes and driving their cars, respectively. These offsetting programs are offered in partnership with NativeEnergy. We were one of the first utilities in the country to offer its customers the opportunity to participate in CoolHome, an innovative program to fight global warming offered in partnership with NativeEnergy.
GreenerGMP. In early 2006, the Vermont Public Service Board approved our request to offer our customers an optional “green” rate, called “GreenerGMP,” that uses only certified renewable energy sources. Our customers are now able to choose to pay a premium of just over three cents per kilowatt hour for all or a portion of their monthly electrical usage to demonstrate their support for renewable energy. We purchase on their behalf certified renewable resources available on the New England power grid equal to the portion of electricity they designate, with a priority given to renewable energy projects located in Vermont. Likely candidates for inclusion include wind, biomass, and biogas. Approximately 500 customers have signed up as of September 2007, which is somewhat disappointing, as we believe far more customers are interested in purchasing renewable power. We believe the complex structure of the program, as well as the lack of available Vermont resources, is at least partly responsible. In late September 2007, we submitted a proposal to the Vermont Public Service Board for a revised program that we think will be more successful.
Energy Efficiency Utility. Additionally, Green Mountain Power encouraged the creation of and strongly supports the Vermont Energy Efficiency Utility (EEU) by serving on its board. EEU is a customer-funded statewide utility that provides energy efficiency services for Vermonters. The EEU was recently recognized by Harvard University as one of the most innovative state government programs in the nation. Green Mountain Power works closely with the EEU as a way to ensure our customers use energy wisely. However, it was revealed during the stakeholder engagement for preparation of this year’s sustainability report that some customers are still requesting more assistance from Green Mountain Power with respect to learning about energy efficiency. In 2006, the Vermont Legislature increased the Efficiency Vermont budget, thus increasing the services it provides. EN6, EN18
5.7.4 Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX)
Green Mountain Power has also assumed a leadership role in committing to a clean power supply by joining the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), a self-regulatory exchange that administers the world’s first multi-national and multi-sector marketplace for reducing and trading greenhouse gas emissions. We voluntarily committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4% from our 1998-2001 baseline average by 2006 or to purchase greenhouse gas credits to achieve the equivalent result. We were able to reduce our emissions by a considerable amount, largely through power plant operations, and easily met our 2006 goal. We have plans to renew our relationship with CCX thru 2011 (phase 2). Currently, CCX is focused only on CO2 for power plants, for which we have all the data we need to calculate a baseline (audited by NASD).
5.7.5 Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
Green Mountain has supported Vermont’s agreement to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”). Beginning in 2009, RGGI seeks to cap regional power plant emissions at current levels until 2014 and requires reductions of 10% below these levels by 2018. In Vermont, Green Mountain Power has one existing power facility that would be affected by the initiative, and the Company fully expects to achieve the established reductions well before 2014.
5.7.6 Commitment to Renewable Energy
As Green Mountain Power looks to the future, we see a challenge in keeping a power supply portfolio that is as air-emissions friendly as our current mix. The challenge comes from the fact that our Vermont Yankee and Hydro-Québec contracts expire in 2012 and 2015, respectively (which together account for almost two-thirds of our energy supply.) While there are still challenges posed by nuclear generation, there is no doubt that nuclear power helps keep our air emissions low.
Vermont has enacted a Renewable Portfolio Standard (“RPS”) to apply to electric utilities beginning in 2012. The RPS will require Green Mountain Power to cover with qualifying renewable resources at least that portion of its electric load that represents retail load growth between 2005 and 2012, up to a maximum of ten percent of total retail load. Vermont’s RPS law also provides that if sufficient new renewable energy generation is built and serves Vermont by 2012, then the RPS mandate will not go into effect. EN6
5.8 T&D System Upgrades and Impacts
5.8.1 Northwest Reliability Project
As described in last year’s sustainability report, significant upgrades as part of the Northwest Reliability Project have been proposed and approved for the transmission system serving northwestern Vermont. Construction on the line began in February 2006 and is expected to be completed in 2009.
Other major transmission reliability projects Green Mountain Power is working on with VELCO include: a reliability project in Chittenden County, called the East Avenue Loop; a reliability project in central Vermont, called the Lamoille County project; a project aimed at improving the reliability of Vermont’s overall bulk electric system, called the Coolidge Connector; and several other smaller transmission and substation projects.
5.8.2 Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a gaseous dielectric used in high voltage electrical equipment. SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential that is 23,900 times greater than that of CO2. Potential sources of SF6 emissions occur from: (1) losses through poor gas handling practices during equipment installation, maintenance and decommissioning; and (2) leakage from SF6-containing equipment.[5]
Green Mountain Power’s system includes 11 breakers with SF6, which we monitor closely for leaks. Green Mountain Power does not currently belong to U.S. EPA’s SF6 Emission Reduction Partnership for Electric Power Systems, due to its very low use of SF6.
5.8.3 Electromagnetic Radiation
Some people are concerned about potential adverse health effects of electromagnetic radiation emanating from power lines. According to the World Health Organization, the research is inconclusive. Despite more than two decades of research to determine whether elevated EMF exposure, principally to magnetic fields, is related to an increased risk of childhood leukemia, there is still no definitive answer. The general scientific consensus is that, thus far, the evidence available is weak and is insufficient to establish a definitive cause-effect relationship. In the U.S., there are no federal standards limiting occupational or residential exposure to power line EMF.[6]
Occasionally, customers who are considering purchasing home near power lines contact Green Mountain Power for more information on potential adverse health effects. We respond by sending a monitoring team to the site to collect data on the amounts of EMF emitted in the area and give the customer information on the research. Because the science is inconclusive, we do not make recommendations to customers, but encourage them to read the information provided to help them make their decision. Quite often the homes are located far enough from the lines that the home would be considered unexposed, but occasionally homes do have low levels of exposure.
5.8.4 PCBs
Green Mountain Power has been making a significant effort to replace PCB-containing equipment with non-PCB materials (see Section 6 of this report for data on PCB waste generation). However, our stakeholders are interested in learning more information about the PCBs in our system and our practices for dealing with them. The PCB issue will be dealt with in greater detail in next year’s report, when we tackle the EU Sector Supplement indicators.
5.8.5 Impacts on Native Ecosystems and Species
Over the years Green Mountain Power has considered the impacts of its facilities and operations on various native ecosystems and species, including biodiversity-rich areas. Table 5-5 describes some of the potential impacts from our operations and our efforts to mitigate them. EN 12-15
Click Here to View Table 5-5: Impacts of Power on Habitats and Wildlife
In addition to the measures described above, we have also taken special interest in three of Vermont’s bird species – ospreys, bald eagles and loons. Our actions to protect these species are described below:
Ospreys. We installed near Lake Champlain several osprey-nesting platforms to mitigate the potential impacts of our operations on this native bird species. These platforms provide the osprey with a convenient place to nest without disrupting power production or distribution.
Bald Eagles. The state of Vermont has a long-term goal of establishing a nesting population of bald eagles in the state. Green Mountain Power has eagerly supported this effort. Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department staff and volunteers from Central Vermont Public Service, Outreach for Earth Stewardship, National Wildlife Federation, and Green Mountain Power recently built three artificial nesting boxes for bald eagles at the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area in Addison, Vermont.
Loons. Green Mountain Power has worked with state officials for years to help protect the loons. In 2006, there were 58 nesting loons, of which 44 successfully hatched 66 eggs, with 56 chicks surviving through August. Back in 1983, loon numbers had dwindled to a low of eight breeding pairs. We do our part by carefully monitoring the water level on Peacham Pond, Marshfield Reservoir, Joe’s Pond, and Molly’s Fall Reservoir to provide optimal conditions for loons. If water levels get too high the nests may become flooded, and if levels get too low the birds will be unable to get to their nest, as loons do not move well on land. Similarly, a flow release at the dam needs to be maintained to protect habitat for fish and other aquatic life downstream, so levels can not get too low. Even though the loon was removed from the endangered species list in April 2005, the loon is still recognized as a Species of Greatest Conservation Concern in Vermont and remains protected under the federal Migratory Bird Act.
5.8.6 Biodiversity-Rich Habitats
Green Mountain Power owns several parcels of land that are likely home to biodiversity-rich habitats. Studies confirming this have not been performed yet.
- Cabot, Vermont: 400 acres of pond and 600 of land surrounding the pond.
- Duxbury, Vermont: 500 acres; we are aware that there may be a protected species of plant along a portion of the transmission line that runs through this parcel.
- Essex 19 Hydro Electric Facility: 100 acres; includes habitat of Harry’s Letters, which is a protected plant species.
- Berlin, Vermont: 67 acres near the Dog River; supports a wetland and wetland habitat.
- West Danville and Vergennes, Vermont, 25 acres and 11 acres, respectively; these hydro electric facilities may also support biodiversity-rich habitats. Searsburg, Vermont: 580 acres; supports many habitats, including black bear (see above for more information on how we protect this habitat).
EN11 and EN12, EN 14, and EN15
