“Clean Energy By Vermonters for Vermonters!”

Community Energy - Kingdom Community Wind (KCW) is being proposed by Vermonters for Vermonters. Several Vermont utilities, working with area residents and landowners, are investigating the development of this clean, in-state renewable generation resource to serve our customers and neighbors. The wind farm being considered in Lowell, Vermont, holds the potential to meet the annual electrical needs of approximately 20,000 average households, that’s about 48,000 Vermonters! By harnessing the power of the wind locally, KCW will keep more of our electric dollars local and will contribute to stabilizing electric prices for generations to come. Kingdom Community Wind will help reduce the need to import power and will reduce pollution in our wider community.

Wind Resource - Strong, persistent prevailing west-northwest winds, which blow perpendicular to the ridgeline, make the Lowell Mountain range a particularly good location for converting wind energy into electrical energy.

Location - Kingdom Community Wind is proposed along a 3-mile portion of the Lowell Mountain range in the southwest corner of the Northeast Kingdom community of Lowell, in Orleans County, Vermont. Farming and logging have long roots in Lowell and the property on which KCW is proposed has been a working timber farm for generations. This ridgeline, which is within 2000+/- acres of privately-owned properties, could potentially accommodate between 16 and 24 wind turbines. 

Transmission - Existing transmission lines along both Rt. 58, to the east and west of Lowell, and Rt. 100 to the north, will facilitate transmission of the power to Vermont utilities. It is anticipated that KCW will connect to these lines using one of the two existing substations, one owned by Vermont Electric Co-Op (VEC) and the other Central Vermont Public Service Corp (CVPS) - both located near the intersection of Rtes 58 and 100 in Lowell village. This close proximity of existing infrastructure minimizes the ecological and visual impact of building additional transmission lines.

Community Contributions - In addition to being environmentally responsible and helping to meet Vermont's growing energy needs, Kingdom Community Wind will contribute to growing the local economy. Already employing Vermonters to conduct environmental and economic assessments, Kingdom Community Wind will generate local construction, operations and maintenance jobs in the future. Kingdom Community Wind will represent a significant local capital investment.  A substantial portion of the construction costs will be dispersed through many facets of the local economy for labor, services, and construction materials. In addition to generating carbon free electricity and helping stabilize electrical prices for generations of Vermonters,

Kingdom Community Wind will send hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to Vermont’s education fund and to Lowell’s community budget. Substantially reduced property taxes will be enjoyed by Lowell taxpayers since KCW would have minimal if any additional demand on town services such as schools, and assuming town spending stays consistent with the recent previous years. 

Kingdom Community Wind will keep more of our local dollars local!

Access - KCW is conveniently located near existing roads and highways. State Route 100 parallels the Lowell Mountain range to the west through the town of Lowell, and State Route 14 parallels the mountain range to the east through the town of Albany. To the north, State Route 58 climbs up over the mountain range, connecting the east and west sides of the ridge. Access to the ridgeline will be by a private road off Rte 100 in Lowell.

Learn More - In 2010 Kingdom Community Wind is planning to file for a Vermont Public Service Board Certificate of Public Good. Development studies are underway in preparation for this and other permitting processes, and this website will be updated as we progress.

Please take a few moments to learn more about KCW, the benefits of wind power, and how you can participate and show your support of Kingdom Community Wind - Clean Energy by Vermonters for Vermonters!!!