Leigh Seddon
Renewable energy consultant
Founder, Solar Works, Inc
Forty-five years ago, I came to Vermont as a young man disillusioned by the pace of environmental destruction in this country and the human destruction being wrought by the Vietnam War. I wanted to drop out, escape, and retreat into the hills.
Instead of retreating, I ended up reconnecting. I reconnected to community life and came to understand that most, if not all Vermonters have a sense of shared community, guided by certain touchstone values–protecting our land, promoting social equality, and serving those in need. And when this community is threatened, it can come together quickly and act in a unified, powerful way. In 1969, the threat was shoddy development and land speculation. It took Vermont only one year to reach consensus and pass Act 250, a landmark vision of regional, citizen control over land use.
Today, the threat of climate change imperils Vermonters and all of earth’s species. Again, we have stepped up to the challenge by creating state policies that are promoting energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy. The goal is to transform Vermont into a renewable energy economy by 2050. While Vermont’s energy leadership will not end global climate change, it can and will serve as a model for other states and countries. And it is a model that will be attractive to others because Vermont’s efforts will boost our economy, keep energy affordable, and protect our environment.
As a renewable energy engineer, I know we have the technology and skills today to proceed with this energy transition. But it is not technology that underpins the path that Vermont has embarked upon, it is our shared sense of community and our deep desire to leave Vermont to the next generation a little better than we found it.
Leigh Seddon at the Ferrisburgh Solar Farm located along Route 7 outside of Vergennes, VT. The farm was built in 2010 by Alteris Renewables for the Pomerleau Real estate group and was Vermont’s first utility-scale solar installation built under Vermont’s Standard Offer Program. Photo by Dorothy Weicker.