STATE OF VERMONT
PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD
Petition of Vermont Transco, LLC, and
Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc.
(collectively, “VELCO”), and Central Vermont
Public Service Corporation (‘CVPS”) for a
Certificate of Public Good, pursuant to 30
V.S.A. §248, for the “Southern Loop Project,”
Located in Vernon, Guilford, Brattleboro,
Dummerston, Newfane, Brookline, Townshend,
Grafton, Windham, Andover, Chester, Ludlow
and Cavendish, Vermont, consisting of the
following elements: (1) a new, approximately
51-mile, 345 kV transmission line between
Vernon-Cavendish, to be built parallel to and
within the same utility right-of-way as
VELCO’s existing Vernon-Cavendish 345kV
line; (2) a new VELCO 345 kV Vernon
substation, to be located just north of the
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station; (3) a
new 345/115/46 kV Newfane substation; (4) a
new, approximately one-mile, 345 kV
transmission line loop between the new
Newfane substation and the new VernonCavendish 345 kV line; (5) expansion of
VELCO’s Coolidge substation in Cavendish,
Vermont; and (6) the implementing of
incremental energy efficiency to defer
transmission upgrades in Southern Vermont
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Docket No. 7373
PRE-FILED TESTIMONY OFFERED ON BEHALF OF THE
TOWNS OF BROOKLINE AND DUMMERSTON
Comes now Tom Clynes on behalf of the Town of Brookline, and Cary Gaunt on behalf of the
Town of Dummerston, and submit herewith the pre-filed testimony of the following expert
witness, in respect to the above encaptioned matter:
1) Testimony of Kurt Yeager, regarding…
a. 30 V.S.A. § 248. (b) (2) (need for present and future demand for service which
could not otherwise be provided in a more cost effective and less disruptive
manner through energy conservation programs and measures and energyefficiency and load management measures…);
b. 30 V.S.A. § 248. (b) (4) (will result in an economic benefit to the state and its
residents) We note that although the Towns’ main concerns regarding this
criterion relate to the Towns of Brookline and Dummerston, the Towns may
question witnesses regarding the overall issues of economic and social benefit;
c. 30 V.S.A. § 248. (b) (5) (will not have an undue adverse effect on esthetics,
historic sites, air and water purity, the natural environment and the public health
and safety, with due consideration having been given to the criteria specified in 10
V.S.A. § 1424a(d) and § 6086(a)(1) through (8) and (9)(K));
d. 30 V.S.A. § 248. (b) (7) (compliance with the electric energy plan approved by
the department under section 202 of this title…).
Page 1 of 12
2) Testimony of Alex Wilson, regarding the existence of a threatened species of orchid on or
near the location of the proposed new transmission lines, regarding…
a. 30 V.S.A. § 248. (b) (5) (will not have an undue adverse effect on esthetics,
historic sites, air and water purity, the natural environment and the public health
and safety, with due consideration having been given to the criteria specified in 10
V.S.A. § 1424a(d) and § 6086(a)(1) through (8) and (9)(K));
Dated at Brookline and Dummerston Vermont this 9th day of June, 2008.
By: ________________________
Thomas W. Clynes
Brookline, Vermont
By: ________________________
Cary Gaunt
Dummerston, Vermont
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
Comes now Thomas W. Clynes and Cary Gaunt and certify that a copy of the above and
foregoing First Round Discovery Requests were served upon the service list on the 9th day of
June, 2008 by depositing the same in the United States mails first class postage affixed.
_______________________________________
Thomas W. Clynes
Brookline, Vermont
_______________________________________
Cary Gaunt
Dummerston, Vermont
Page 2 of 12
STATE OF VERMONT
PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD
Petition of Vermont Transco, LLC, and
Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc.
(collectively, “VELCO”), and Central Vermont
Public Service Corporation (‘CVPS”) for a
Certificate of Public Good, pursuant to 30
V.S.A. §248, for the “Southern Loop Project,”
Located in Vernon, Guilford, Brattleboro,
Dummerston, Newfane, Brookline, Townshend,
Grafton, Windham, Andover, Chester, Ludlow
and Cavendish, Vermont, consisting of the
following elements: (1) a new, approximately
51-mile, 345 kV transmission line between
Vernon-Cavendish, to be built parallel to and
within the same utility right-of-way as
VELCO’s existing Vernon-Cavendish 345kV
line; (2) a new VELCO 345 kV Vernon
substation, to be located just north of the
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station; (3) a
new 345/115/46 kV Newfane substation; (4) a
new, approximately one-mile, 345 kV
transmission line loop between the new
Newfane substation and the new VernonCavendish 345 kV line; (5) expansion of
VELCO’s Coolidge substation in Cavendish,
Vermont; and (6) the implementing of
incremental energy efficiency to defer
transmission upgrades in Southern Vermont
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Docket No. 7373
PREFILED TESTIMONY
OF KURT YEAGER
Summary: The purpose of Mr. Yeager’s testimony is to discuss the need and suitability for the
proposed Vernon-Cavendish upgrade as a way of meeting present and future demand, and
alternatives that could meet demand and reliability needs in a more cost-effective and less
disruptive manner.
Q.
Please state your name, title, address, and experience:
A. I am Kurt Yeager, Executive Director of the non-profit Galvin Electricity Initiative, which
is focused on transforming the reliability and value of U.S. electricity service. I am also the former
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and chair
of the World Energy Council Study on Energy and Climate Change. I am a Fellow of the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Trustee of the Committee for Economic
Development. My address is P.O. Box 1336, Aptos, CA 95001.
Q. Please summarize your conclusions and recommendations for the project.
A. I appreciate this opportunity to provide testimony to the Vermont Public Service Board,
regarding the Southern Loop Project’s proposed transmission line between Vernon and Cavendish
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(Docket 7373). My testimony reflects both 35 years of personal experience in the development of
innovative technology encompassing every dimension of the nation’s electric power system, and
the combined efforts of the team of technical and business leaders who are implementing the
landmark Galvin Electricity Initiative.
The Galvin Electricity Initiative was officially launched in 2005, but its genesis dates back to
the massive East Coast blackout of August 2003, which left nearly 50 million people without
power. The event inspired former Motorola chief Robert W. Galvin to take action, and create a
public-interest initiative to upgrade the electric grid in America. Mr. Galvin earlier led the
transformation of the U.S. telecommunications industry and introduced quality-management
principles to U.S. industry. These principles are based on the demonstrated fact that quality always
saves and that the goal must be perfect customer service.
The goal of the Galvin Electricity Initiative is a smart, 21st-century electric grid that never
fails to meet each consumer’s expectations for electricity service confidence, convenience and
choice. The electric grid includes here all elements in the chain of technologies and processes for
electricity production, transmission, delivery and use across its spectrum of residential,
commercial and industrial applications. All Initiative results and reports are available on the
website www.galvinpower.org.
During much of the 20th century, the U.S. electric grid was the epitome of high-tech and it
literally transformed every aspect of the nation’s economy and society. It was a wellspring of
technical innovation and the prime mover for the creation of new industries, jobs and services. As
a result, electricity became the lifeblood of the nation’s prosperity and quality of life. In fact, the
National Academy of Engineers declared that “the vast networks of electrification are the greatest
engineering achievement of the 20th century.”
But existing power grids were designed to deliver a one-way flow of energy from a central
source to all end-users. These high-voltage transmission lines were installed before planners ever
imagined that enormous quantities of electricity would be sold across state lines in open-access,
competitive transactions. Consequently, these transmission lines are often overloaded and subject
to blackouts. As demands have grown, regional blackouts have become bigger and more frequent,
and power companies worry that their lines and plants have become tempting targets for terrorists.
Most critically, the electricity distribution networks that deliver power to each consumer are
effectively the last bastion of an outmoded analog, electromechanically controlled network in
today’s digital world. The power infrastructure we have built is as incompatible with today’s
digital economy as horse-and-buggy trails were to automobiles. This is a particularly dangerous
paradox given the fact that the electric grid powers the digital revolution on which much of the
nation’s present and future productivity and competitiveness depends.
Electricity is indeed a superior energy form; however, it is not a tangible substance but rather a
physical effect occurring through the wires that conduct it. Electricity must be produced and
consumed in absolutely instantaneous balance as it can’t be easily stored. Its delivery, therefore,
must balance supply and demand at literally the speed of light. Yet the status quo suffers
numerous shortcomings. Efficiency, for example, has not increased since the late 1950s and U.S.
power plants now throw away more energy than Japan consumes.
Unreliability that results in blackouts or even momentary interruptions, in today’s digital
economy costs America more than $100 billion annually. This is equivalent to a 50-cent surcharge
on every dollar of electricity purchased by consumers. This unreliability surcharge is now simply
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being added to the cost of the goods and services we all buy. If the equivalent of just one year’s
worth of this surcharge was invested in achieving a smart electric grid, both the surcharge and the
unreliability penalty it reflects would be eliminated.
In addition, the U.S. electric power system has become a major contributor to the climate
crisis. Our regular and routine electricity use is responsible for nearly 40 percent of the nation’s
energy-related carbon emissions, as confirmed by the Department of Energy’s Annual Energy
Outlook 2005. These emissions contaminate the Earth’s atmosphere and dramatically complicate
global warming. Among the biggest barriers to the widespread use of renewable-energy
technology is the outdated condition of the U.S. electric transmission system. In effect, our electric
power system has been in a sub-prime mortgage-like era for decades.
Vermont currently has the cleanest electrical grid in the country, with a tradition of innovation
and leadership in the public utilities arena. Vermonters themselves have clearly expressed a
preference for efficiency, conservation, non-transmission alternatives, and the latest technology.
Now, the rest of the country is looking to Vermont for energy policy leadership. Vermont’s
forward-thinking regulators must begin now to challenge transmission providers to include the
development of a smart grid in their plans for policies to improve the climate-change situation, and
provide more reliability and improved service to customers. These grids must emphasize
renewable sources of energy and reduce our reliance on large, centralized generating facilities.
Not only will implementing smart-grid technology help decrease carbon emissions, it will also
help Vermonters in other significant ways as well. By making use of intelligent technology, smart
grids will be largely outage-resistant, efficient and infinitely more secure from terrorism. These
enhancements will result in an intelligent, transformed electric power system that meets
consumers’ expectations for reliability, efficiency, convenience, affordability and choice, while
protecting the environment and ensuring a sustainable planet for our grandchildren. This progress
is the goal of the Galvin Electricity Initiative — to convert a flawed energy system into a system
that is responsive to the growing needs of its users and has a substantially lower impact on our
environment.
There is no question that increased electric demand in Vermont and region-wide will
eventually make it necessary to strengthen the transmission grid serving the area in order to
achieve and maintain desirable levels of reliability. But it is somewhat disingenuous that Velco’s
Vernon-Cavendish proposal has been presented as an “upgrade.” I see no evidence in the proposal
of anything that meets the definition of “upgrade.” Rather than “upgrading” the grid, Velco’s
approach seeks to simply duplicate and double the capacity of an outmoded analog,
electromechanically controlled network – thereby locking in more inadequate, 1950s-era
technology. There has been little emphasis placed on creatively or comprehensively looking at the
corridor, and the network, in the context of future needs. In the year 2008, additional power lines
should be the option of last resort. With so many superior-technology options available, this
project would represent a significant step backward.
Velco is one of several transmission providers in northern New England (a region with
comparatively little projected growth in demand) that are seeking to build new power lines, in
most cases cloaking their proposals in questionable “urgent need” and “reliability” language. I see
no compelling logic that points to a doubling of the capacity of the Vernon-Cavendish line as a
reasonable and cost-effective solution to reliability concerns. Reliability goals could be met more
cost-effectively, and less disruptively, through smart-grid and non-transmission alternatives that
were not considered by the petitioners. Taking into account the new FERC New England capacity
payment rules, which allow transmission providers to recover a higher than historically normal
Page 5 of 12
rate of return, indicators are that the project would likely have the result of encouraging growth in
consumption, decreased energy independence and higher rates for Vermonters in the medium and
long-term.
The vision of a smart grid is far from a lofty, faraway objective; in fact, technologies exist
commercially today that can transform the grid from its unreliable, inefficient and insecure state
into a smarter, more efficient system that meets the needs of the digital age. To address the stated
reliability deficiencies and bring Vermont into compliance with mandatory federal reliability
standards, I propose the following solutions, which would be far less disruptive than the proposal
under consideration, and would result in reduced costs for Vermonters, especially over the
medium and long term.
1. Replace the system’s relatively slow electromechanical switches and relays with
electronic controls, to digitally control the power delivery network. The technology is Flexible
AC Transmission System, or FACTS, which is a power electronics system with thyristors that
controls and enhances power transferability in the network. The system uses an array of
instantaneous sensors to anticipate, react to, and manage the load on the grid, and in doing so
optimizes it. Digital electronic controls such as FACTS increase capacity and allow the system
to operate closer to its thermal limits.
FACTS is actually not new; it has been available for the past decade and has been
demonstrated by American Electric Power, New York Power Authority, and TVA. The cost of
FACTS hardware is offset by dramatic savings on the need for new transmission lines, in
addition to increased security. Had the system been in use, a problem such as the recent
Florida outage would have been localized and not spread beyond the immediate vicinity. (The
Vermont Department of Public Service’s 1994 Twenty Year Electric Plan recommends the use
of “high-power electronic control devices, often referred to as FACTS devices, for controlling
transmission system voltage and stability following contingencies.”)
2. Integrate smart sensors and communications technology to this core capability to
achieve a dynamic, smart, interactive electric grid for real-time power and information
exchange. This smart system has the advantage of much higher reliability, plus the ability to
most efficiently provide electricity services that are tailored to each consumer’s needs.
3. Install advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to allow price signals, demand-response
decisions and network intelligence – as well as electricity – to flow back and forth through a
smart two-way energy/information portal. This will ultimately enable a variety of
individualized electricity services at least as diverse as those in today’s telecommunications.
4. Integrate distributed energy resources. A smart power grid is better able to seamlessly
integrate an array of locally installed distributed-generation and storage capabilities. In the
future, these will become essential assets to electricity consumers and suppliers alike in
dispatching reliability, capacity and efficiency. Particularly valuable will be the ability to
achieve significant increases in the use of clean renewable energy technology such as biomass,
wind, and photovoltaic’s, without negatively affecting grid reliability. As a result, homes and
businesses can become net energy producers, reducing the need for infrastructure expansion
while fundamentally improving efficiency and environmental performance.
5. Accelerate end-use efficiency through advances in digital electric technology. These
advances will enable continuous, sustainable improvements in user productivity and efficiency
that are simply not possible with today’s outmoded electric grid.
6. Reconductor the existing Vernon-Cavendish line to ease thermal and voltage
constraints. New types of aluminum conductors, for example, with carbon fiber cores instead
of steel, have much higher current-carrying capability. Under high rates of power flow, they
sag less at high temperatures because of greater strength and lighter weight. In addition, these
new conductors are more corrosion resistant and promise a longer service life.
Page 6 of 12
Taken together, these actions could increase the capacity of the Vernon-Cavendish line by an
estimated 30 to 50 percent, while reducing the power demand on the Coolidge Connector and
eliminating the need for new power lines. More importantly, these steps would eliminate the
severe security vulnerabilities in today’s electric grid (whether the threat is of natural or human
origin), by automatically recognizing incipient reliability problems, taking corrective action, and
constantly optimizing the efficiency and performance of the electrical system. The efficiency and
peak-demand reduction advantages of a smart grid would also significantly reduce the need for
expensive new centralized electricity generating capacity, and allow Vermont to take advantage of
its considerable biomass and wind resources, which could form the core of an evolving system
based on more renewable and distributed generation.
In this way, the smart grid system will generate and manage electricity more efficiently,
thereby reducing carbon emissions. In addition, to avoid blackouts and power failures that
currently plague energy consumers during high-demand, peak-energy-use hours, a smart grid
using sensors and real-time monitoring is able to constantly correct itself for, and even anticipate,
potential instabilities. When disturbances occur, this technology is able to isolate the issue to
protect the rest of the grid from failing. Presently, when one part of the grid is affected, the failure
spreads so that in the end, these local outages can cost millions of consumers billions of dollars —
and perpetuate carbon pollution.
Critics may decry the initial expense of investing in smart grids, but cost-benefit analyses
suggest the improved system will quickly pay for itself, demonstrating that quality is the
cornerstone of cost efficiency. A transformed grid will create major economic and environmental
benefits for the state of Vermont and its ratepayers. Smart electric grid improvements will offer
consumers a fundamentally higher quality of electric service, and will also give Vermonters the
opportunity to better control their electricity consumption (and monthly bills). And by utilizing
these “demand-response” technologies, consumers are given another weapon to battle climate
change: the choice to use less energy during peak times.
The future of Vermont’s electric power system rests upon our ability to take advantage of the
technology available today and prioritize the modernization of our unreliable, inefficient and
insecure grid infrastructure. The transition to a smart electric grid envisions an electronically
controlled, self-healing electricity supply system that is fully capable of responding in real time to
the billions of decisions made by consumers and their increasingly sophisticated digitally
controlled appliances and devices. In short, it is a grid that provides the same efficiency, precision
and interconnectivity as the billions of digital devices and processors that it must power.
Again, there is no question that in 2008, new transmission lines are the least-desirable option,
when technology now exists to increase the capacity of the lines we have today. These
enhancements will result in an intelligent, transformed electric power system that meets
consumers’ expectations for reliability, efficiency, convenience, security, affordability and choice,
while protecting the environment and ensuring a livable planet for our grandchildren. By taking
this path to perfection, Vermont’s tradition of power system leadership will continue in the 21st
Century and set the example for our nation.
Q. Does this conclude your testimony?
A. Yes.
Page 7 of 12
Biographical Data
Kurt E. Yeager
Kurt E. Yeager retired from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electric Power
Research Institute (EPRI), Palo Alto, California on September 1, 2004. Mr. Yeager assumed this position in
August 1996 after serving as EPRI’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. EPRI is the national
collaborative research and development organization for electric power providing technical solution applications
for the electricity enterprise in the U.S. and over 40 other countries. As CEO, Mr. Yeager also led the electricity
enterprise-wide collaborative development of the landmark Electricity Technology Roadmap, and the Electricity
Sector Framework for the Future. These have become guiding documents for the essential performance growth
of the electricity enterprise and its infrastructure.
Mr. Yeager joined EPRI in 1974, progressing through a series of technical management and executive positions
from department director to senior vice president. Previously, Mr. Yeager was the director of Energy R&D
Planning for the EPA Office of Research. Prior to that he was with the MITRE Corporation as associate head of
the Environmental Systems Department. Mr. Yeager was also a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Nuclear
Research Officer’s Program while serving seven years on active duty. Since retiring from EPRI, Mr. Yeager is
serving as executive director of the non-profit Galvin Electricity Initiative. This Initiative is focused on
transforming the reliability and value of electricity service. He also chaired the 2007 World Energy Council
Study on Energy and Climate Change.
Mr. Yeager is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and its Industry Advisory Board, and a
Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development. He has served on the Executive Board of the National
Coal Council, the U.S. Energy Association, and the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM)
as well as several National Academy of Engineering Committees and the Energy Research Advisory Board to
the Secretary of Energy. He is also serving on the Board of APX Corporation. Most recently, Mr. Yeager was
named the 2003 Technology Policy Leader for Energy by Scientific American. He has authored over 200
technical publications on energy and environmental topics.
Mr. Yeager received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College and completed post-graduate studies in chemistry
and physics at Ohio State and the University of California, Davis. He has also completed post-graduate
management programs at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the University of Pennsylvania
Wharton School of Finance.
Page 8 of 12
STATE OF VERMONT
PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD
Petition of Vermont Transco, LLC, and
Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc.
(collectively, “VELCO”), and Central Vermont
Public Service Corporation (‘CVPS”) for a
Certificate of Public Good, pursuant to 30
V.S.A. §248, for the “Southern Loop Project,”
Located in Vernon, Guilford, Brattleboro,
Dummerston, Newfane, Brookline, Townshend,
Grafton, Windham, Andover, Chester, Ludlow
and Cavendish, Vermont, consisting of the
following elements: (1) a new, approximately
51-mile, 345 kV transmission line between
Vernon-Cavendish, to be built parallel to and
within the same utility right-of-way as
VELCO’s existing Vernon-Cavendish 345kV
line; (2) a new VELCO 345 kV Vernon
substation, to be located just north of the
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station; (3) a
new 345/115/46 kV Newfane substation; (4) a
new, approximately one-mile, 345 kV
transmission line loop between the new
Newfane substation and the new VernonCavendish 345 kV line; (5) expansion of
VELCO’s Coolidge substation in Cavendish,
Vermont; and (6) the implementing of
incremental energy efficiency to defer
transmission upgrades in Southern Vermont
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Docket No. 7373
PREFILED TESTIMONY OF ALEX WILSON
Summary: The purpose of Mr. Wilson’s testimony is to establish the existence of a threatened
species of orchid on or near the location of the proposed new transmission lines.
Q.
Please state your name, title, address, and experience:
A. I am Alex Wilson, President of BuildingGreen, LLC, a writing and consulting firm
specializing in building technology, energy, and the environment. I am also the Founder and
Executive Editor, Environmental Building News. My address is 39 Leonard Rd, Dummerston, VT
05301.
Q. Please describe any threatened or endangered species you have witnessed along the
Vernon-Cavendish corridor.
A. In September, 2007, local botanist and outdoor educator Patty Smith of the Bonnyvale
Environmental Education Center (BEEC) discovered a rare orchid on land owned by the Estate of
Conrad Wilson, of which I am the executor. The orchid is Triphora trianthophora or three-birds
orchid. It is known only in a handful of locations in Vermont, all in or near Dummerston I believe.
With Ms. Smith's descriptions of where she had seen the orchid, I walked the area and also found
it.
Page 9 of 12 Including
Exhibits
I had taken part in several investigations of this species in recent years. I am on the board of
the Vermont Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and chair of the Black Mountain
Stewardship Committee, which oversees a TNC property in Dummerston. Seven or eight years
ago, while working a boardwalk over a marshy area on the TNC property, several staff and
volunteers found a population of this species in the deep beech woodland above the marshy area.
With the group of volunteers was Dr. Jennifer Ramstetter, a botanist at Marlboro College who,
coincidentally, had conducted studies of the three-birds Orchid throughout New England. Dr.
Ramstetter and I have returned to the TNC property most years since the discovery to examine the
extent of this population. Though these surveys, both with and without Dr. Ramstetter, I have
become adept at spotting this small plant, which emerges in early August and is in bloom for only
a few days. After blooming, the plant can be recognized, but only if one knows exactly what to
look for.
Following Ms. Smith's discovery of the orchid on our property and with a description from her
of where she found it, I walked the area quite late in the season and located one group of the
orchids. I marked this location and will be able to find it again, but I am also planning to conduct a
much more thorough investigation, hopefully with a GPS to permit me to catalog the locations for
future reference. The known location is a few hundred feet from the Velco distribution line, on the
north side of the line, which I understand is the side that is to carry the additional string of towers.
I do not know how close to the edge of the Velco right-of-way the known population of orchids is
located.
Three-birds orchid is listed as "threatened" in Vermont.
Q. Does this conclude your testimony?
A. Yes.
Curriculum Vitae
Alex Wilson
Address:
BuildingGreen, LLC
122 Birge Street, Suite 30
Brattleboro, VT 05301
802/257-7300, ext. 106
802/257-7304 (fax)
alex@buildinggreen.com (e-mail)
Employment:
President, BuildingGreen, LLC, 1985 to present (operated as West River Communications, Inc. until
February, 1997, then E Build, Inc. until May, 2000). A writing and consulting firm specializing in
building technology, energy, and the environment. Major activities include publishing as well as freelance magazine and book writing; technical writing government agencies, non-profit organizations,
and private corporations in the building trades field; and green building design and materials
consulting for a wide range of project types. Staff of 25 in 2008.
Founder and Executive Editor, Environmental Building News, July 1992 to present.
EBN is a monthly newsletter on environmentally responsible design and construction. Published by
BuildingGreen, Inc., the 16- to 20-page newsletter is targeted towards architects, building contractors,
Page 10 of 12 Including
Exhibits
developers, engineers, and others in the building industry is recognized as the leading in-depth
publication on green building.
Executive Director, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, 1980-85. Overall fiscal and programmatic
responsibility for Association, including supervision of staff (4-6), membership development (1500
members), budgeting, fundraising, technical program development, conference and seminar
management, and writing.
New Mexico Solar Energy Association, 1978-1980. Served as Workshop Program Coordinator, Technical
Program Coordinator, and Associate Director for large grassroots solar association (staff as large as 26,
membership of 2500).
Books and Major Publications:
Your Green Home, September, 2006, New Society Publishers. Book directed toward consumers considering
building a new home. Author.
The New Orleans Principles and three other Gulf Coast Greening reports, editor and primary author, U.S.
Green Building Council, 2005-06. Series of four reports, including, derived from four charrettes held in
Atlanta in November 2006.
Greening Federal Facilities, 2nd Edition, published by the U.S. Department of Energy – Federal Energy
Management Program, February, 2001. 200-page guide to Federal facility designers and managers
covering 90 specific technologies and design strategies for “greening” Federal facilities. Editor.
GreenSpec Product Directory, published by BuildingGreen, Inc., 6th Edition, 2006. 490-page directory of 2,000
green building products with “guideline specification” language. Online edition launched 2002. Coeditor.
Green Building Products: The GreenSpec® Guide to Residential Building Materials, published by
BuildingGreen, Inc., 2nd Edition, 2006. 350-page directory of 1,600 green building products. Co-editor.
Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate, John Wiley & Sons, 1998. 550-page book for
developers and other real estate professionals on environmentally responsible development
practices—includes numerous case studies. Lead author of five, with others from the Rocky Mountain
Institute, in Snowmass Colorado. Lead co-author.
Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, published by the American Council for an Energy Efficient
Economy, 9th Edition, 2007. 250-page book for homeowners on saving energy around the house.
Updated every 12 to 18 months with listings of the most energy-efficient appliances. More than
200,000 copies in print. Co-author.
Environmental Resource Guide, published by John Wiley & Sons in cooperation with the American Institute
of Architects, 1996, 1997, 1998. Co-author of the “Application Reports.”
NY-STAR Builder’s Field Guide, 1994, 250-page handbook on energy-efficient construction for builders.
Developed with New York State and utility funding. Principal author.
Energy Crafted Home Builders Guide, published by a consortium of utility companies in Massachusetts, 1990.
Guide to energy-efficient design and construction for builders and designers. Principal author.
Space Heating Technology Atlas, published by E Source, a subsidiary of the Rocky Mountain Institute, 1993,
1996. Contributing author.
Quiet Water Canoe Guide Series: New Hampshire and Vermont (1992, 2003); Massachusetts, Connecticut, and
Rhode Island (1993, 2004); Maine – 1995, 2005); New York (1996, 2006). All four books co-authored with
John Hayes and published by the Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA.
Magazine Writing:
Author of several hundred articles on energy and building technology for numerous national and regional
publications. Past columnist or contributing editor: The Journal of Light Construction (1982 to 1991);
Architecture (1991-93); Custom Builder (1989-92); Real Goods News (1993-94). Feature articles: Architecture,
Architectural Record, Landscape Architecture, The Construction Specifier, Fine Homebuilding, Popular Science,
Home, Home Mechanix, Natural Home, Journal of Industrial Ecology, and Consumers Digest (partial listing).
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Teaching: Instructor, Boston Architectural College, 2005 to present.
Education: Graduated with honors from Ithaca College, 1977, B.A. in Biology.
Honors and Accreditations:
Listed in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering.
Recipient of the first annual Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded annually by the Northeast
Sustainable Energy Association, March 1993.
Recipient (Environmental Building News) of a 2002 award from the Healthy Building Network “for
leadership in accelerating the transition to building materials that reduce the health and
environmental hazards throughout their life cycle.”
Recipient (BuildingGreen) of the 2004 Lewis Mumford Award (Environment category) from the
organization Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility
LEED-Accredited Professional, U.S. Green Building Council
Activities:
Board Member, U.S. Green Building Council, December 2000-2005
Charter Member, USGBC Research Committee, 2006 to present
Board Member, Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, December 1999 to 2002
Board Member, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, 1986-92
Member, Dummerston Planning Commission, 1989 to 2000
Chair, Dummerston Energy Committee, 2007 to present
Founding board member and Secretary, Brattleboro Thermal Utility, Inc., 2008 to present
Trustee, The Nature Conservancy – Vermont Chapter, 2003 to present (Vice-Chair, 2006)
Chairperson, Black Mountain Stewardship Committee, Vermont Nature Conservancy, 1997 to present.
Trustee, Conservation and Research Foundation, Salem, Connecticut, 1982 to present.
Chair (founding), Dummerston Energy Committee, established by Dummerston Selectboard, 2007.
Memberships:
American Solar Energy Society
Society of Environmental Journalists
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
U.S. Green Building Council (BuildingGreen, LLC)
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