Manchester, Vermont’s Town Plan recognizes the visual importance of the area’s mountainous terrain, and also supports the development of renewable energy facilities. A proposal by Maine-based Endless Energy Corporation to build a five-turbine wind farm on Little Equinox Mountain has put the Town Plan to the test, initiating lively debate within Manchester and neighboring communities about which should come first, scenic ridgelines or renewable energy, and is this even the right question to ask?

Nestled along the banks of the famous Battenkill River and between two mountain ranges – the Greens and the Taconics – in southwest Vermont, Manchester is a historic town of some 4300 people known for its majestic valley setting and active citizenry. While the ultimate decision for or against the proposed wind facility rests with the state’s Public Service Board, the Town recognizes the important role citizens can and should play in helping inform this and other local land use decisions the environmental and economic implications of which reach well beyond the host community.

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