Vermont Moves To Put Noise Rule On Wind Industry

Vermont regulators filed a rule Tuesday limiting how loud wind turbines can be when they generate power, angering the wind industry and green energy advocates. The Vermont Public Service Board proposed a 42-decibel sound limit for wind turbines operating during the day, which would drop to 39 decibels at night. The rule would lower the state’s current 45-decibels per hour limit, which is quieter than a normal conversation, and would also require large wind turbine projects to keep a distance of ten times their heights from nearby homes. The proposed rule now heads to the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature for approval, and could eventually arrive on Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s desk. The wind industry is fighting the rule, claiming it effectively blocks the construction of new wind turbines in the state...more