by Abigail Crosby
All permanent ground solar should require local town permitting complete with Notice and Public Comment, with certified letters including Notice and Public Comment opportunity to abutters.
December 18, 2025 the final of 40 Large Solar Panels were erected in the form of permanent ground solar on our neighbor’s property (see attached photo). This is close to and facing our property such that our kitchen and living room views are now shattered and our property seriously devalued as a result. Our most-used kitchen sink window view is gone…destroyed.
The Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) claims this case is a 17.6 kw project so falls within Vermont legislation allowing “expedited registration” up to 25 kw. Specifically the PUC Clerk wrote “This project was deemed a certificate of public good (“CPG”) in net-metering registration case #25-2041-NMR”. This means they do not have to notify the town, the abutters, or anyone immediately affected. There is no posting of permits at the project site, before, during or after construction, hence, there is no way to know what is being constructed until too late.
In our case, our traditional antique farmhouse, with attached barns and out buildings, are at the edge of our 110+ acres, but near the line shared with this neighbor. Our previously beautiful pastoral view with a barn and distant log home, and western Hogback ridge beautifully beyond, is destroyed. This problem property is to our north. The log home to their north was built in recent decades and great care and treasure was put into the looks and location of that log home so as to keep this view spectacular in line with the area of a traditional rural Vermont.
So now we have a monstrosity in our face…forever. It was conveniently located such that it is not seen from the property owner’s house or driveway, but has destroyed our kitchen sink window view. Had there been Notice and Public Comment, we would have objected, with attorneys if necessary. We would have pushed the roof solar option. We may have considered pushing the grotesque structure to the far rear of their property, which would still abutt our property and be in close proximity, but would have been out of sight of our home windows.
It is worth noting that the problem property is owned by a New York resident, a NYC employee, who primarily rents this property through AirBNB. Our property is our permanent residence that has been in our family since the early 1950’s. We have put so much into keeping our attached barns and outbuildings upright and reasonably healthy. A feat which in not easy, or cheap, but is keeping a special place with tremendous Vermont history and architecture intact and alive. This solar monstrosity is destructive to our property and neighborhood, and is frankly sickening and depressing.
The Vermont Legislature, with help from the Governor, has effectively allowed a Canadian company to devalue our property without any Notice and opportunity to fight with Public Comment. The Vermont Legislature empowered the Vermont PUC to empower Green Mountain Power (owned by a Canadian company) to harm the property value of Vermont permanent residents. How is allowing a Canadian company to destroy the property of Vermont residents “public good”?
All and every permanent ground solar approval in Vermont must go back to local town government with proper permitting processes complete with Notice and Public Comment. Applicable should be any and all sizes of ground solar. Every description must include dimensional size and panel numbers…not only kw. We have to wonder if the Governor knew a 17.6 kw structure would mean 40 large panels when he signed the legislation?
The Vermont Legislature has gone overboard to save natural Vermont property and sites, but has contradicted itself in allowing these horrible and unnatural projects. Anyone with acreage may consider in future keeping every acre for protection from irresponsible and harmful legislation favoring harming traditional Vermont properties.
There are many questions still out there. Has the property owner given a right-of-way? How much did this cost? Who paid for it, and how was it paid? Who will pay for repairs and maintenance over the years? When technology changes, rare earth minerals required become scarce, or the damage to birds and other wildlife or livestock becomes increasingly evident, who will pay to remove the structure or remnants? Who will make sure it is removed and not just left to rot? How will we be compensated for the damage to our property value? How will the Town be reimbursed for the negative impact on our property valuation…hence property tax reduction?
Additionally, who are these installer companies? Who assigns them a project? How are they licensed? Do they provide kickbacks to the property owner, PUC, legislators, State leaders or employees, Green Mountain Power and its Canadian parent? The System Installer in this case (25-2041-NMR) is a Cherisse Wildflower with a Waterbury, Vermont address. I have not been able to reach her at the phone number (802-338-5146) the PUC has posted for her. To date there has been no answer, nor any voicemail. The case information does not say what company she is with, and since no permit was ever posted, we don’t know. Rural Vermont residents, please beware. What a disaster.
Author is a Jacksonville (Whitingham) resident.