Symington unveils second part of energy plan

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and House Speaker Gaye Symington this morning unveiled more details of her energy policy, "Roadmap to Energy Independence," which focuses heavily on developing and utilizing wind power technology in the near future.  

Symington made the announcement at the Hinesburg headquarters of wind power technology manufacturer NRG Systems, Inc.  

If elected governor, Symington said she would boost the state's reliance on wind power and renewable energy for electricity, reorganize the state's energy bureaucracy and call for a change in policy toward Vermont Yankee, among other reforms.

"Today I am proposing a dramatic shift in the direction of Vermont's electric energy policy," Symington said. "As Governor, I will set the goal of deriving 20% of our power from wind generation in ten years.  This is an ambitious, but achievable goal that will jump-start our economy and provide a critically needed new source of power."

Symington said the shift to wind power would help attract investors and bring new jobs to the state.  Symington also touted her proposed "Efficiency Pays" plan to help Vermonters purchase more energy-efficient appliances, and emphasized transitioning from reliance on Vermont Yankee.

The newly released four-point plan is the second part of Symington's proposed energy policy. The Democratic candidate has made energy efficiency a central point in her campaign for governor.  

While speaking, Symington also took stabs at Gov. Jim Douglas (R-Middlebury) past record on energy, claiming that the incumbent had "constantly missed energy opportunities," ignored wind power as a source of energy and refused to examine alternatives to replace power harnassed from Vermont Yankee.  

Dennise Casey, Douglas' campaign manager, responded to Symington's criticisms and told PolitickerVT.com that the governor had always worked to expand the diversity of Vermont's energy sources. Casey said that Symington's proposal is incomplete and "has holes," both criticisms she has stated before.