Over the next few decades, meeting regional commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will require major investments in new energy infrastructure – investments that will influence the basic design of the region’s energy system for many decades to come. By taking a candid look at our renewable energy future, including its landscape impacts, we can start now to design an energy system we can all live with in the long term that sustains the region’s remarkable beauty and quality of life.

Our report, Cumulative Landscape Impacts of Renewable Energy Alternatives for Northern New England describes – through maps and estimates of acres disturbed – landscape impacts from renewable energy development projections.

Several processes are underway to determine how best to build out our future energy grid. We need to ensure we make smart choices from the get-go to limit the impacts. Our cumulative impacts report builds on another recent analysis we produced that explains the uses of energy in New England and explains the costs and benefits of potential renewable sources.

These reports can help guide some of the decision making to find a fair balance between moving us to a clean energy future and protecting the lands and forests that make New England so spectacular.

In Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire, there have been strong commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to reach that goal, some important decisions need to be made. How we piece together our clean energy portfolio is at the heart of the battle. We know we don’t have to choose between protecting our wild lands and advancing renewable energy if we take the time to do it right.

NF Renewable Energy Cumulative Impacts 3-4-13.pdf

Northern Forest Renewable Energy Report - September 2012.pdf