CVPS subsidiary backs out of wind project

Burlington Free Press, July 26, 2003

The Associated Press

MANCHESTER -- Catamount Energy Corp. has withdrawn as a partner in a project to build up to five wind turbines on Little Equinox Mountain.

Nonetheless, Endless Energy Corp. of Yarmouth , Maine , appears to be moving the project forward, company and town officials said.

The project, first proposed last year, was planned as a partnership between Catamount Energy, a subsidiary of Central Vermont Public Service Corp., and Endless Energy Corp. The two companies had formed Equinox Wind Partners.

A contract is already in place for the Burlington Electric Department to buy 7 percent of the city's electricity from the wind farm. The project also has the backing of five environmental groups, including the Conservation Law Foundation, Vermont Natural Resources Council and Vermonters for a Clean Environment. And wind farm developers already have a land lease agreement with owners of the land, the Carthusian Foundation in America , an order of monks.

But Robert Charlebois, managing director of Catamount, said his company was leaving to focus on larger projects.

"We prioritize development dollars and opportunities and, unfortunately, we find it necessary to terminate funding of this smaller project," he said.

The company will continue pursuing projects elsewhere in the United States and Great Britain , including one on Glebe Mountain in Londonderry , a planned 27-tower, $50 million project, he said.

Harley Lee, president of Endless Energy, said his company would press ahead with the Equinox project. "We appreciate Catamount's contributions to the project and will continue to build on the joint development progress we have made to date," he said.

If completed as planned, it could produce more than 25 million kilowatt-hours a year -- enough electricity to serve as many as 4,000 homes.

Some local residents have said the 330-foot towers that would make up the wind farm would harm tourism.