The Bennington Banner
September 13, 2000


Dean to power plant backers: 'Go away'


ROBIN SMITH
Managing Editor

BENNINGTON - Gov. Howard Dean vowed Tuesday to do everything in his power to
prevent Tom Macauley and his natural gas power plant and pipeline.

"We are not going to support this pipeline," said Dean emphatically.

The governor called the Bennington Banner Tuesday in response to a story
quoting Macaulay, who is partner in Vermont Energy Park Holdings, the
company that is seeking to build a natural gas power plant in Bennington and
in Rutland with a pipeline in between.

Macaulay and his business associates continue to say they want to put the
plant in Bennington, despite a lack of investors. "We have not abandoned the
project," said Macaulay to the Banner Tuesday, the same comment he has made
at hearings for a Schenectady-based plant in New York State.

Dean, once a promoter of the idea of bringing natural gas into Vermont as an
alternative energy source, had nothing good to say about the companies
created by New York State Electric and Gas to build two power plants,Vermont
Energy Park Holdings, and the company created to build the pipeline,
Southern Vermont Natural Gas Project. The company's representatives have
been pushing the project for almost two years, despite a reported lack of
funding and the competition for approval to build plants.

"I don't think these people are upfront. It's not fair to property owners
... to have it drag on and on," said Dean. "We are torturing the property
owners."

These companies "have mismanaged it so badly. I wish they'd stop and I wish
they'd go away."

Dean said a proposal for power plants and pipelines from these companies
will be vigorously opposed by the state if any such should be presented for
approval under Act 248.

Acknowledging that towns and states can't unilaterally barr utilities like
power plants, Dean said that the state must be considered. "They are not
going to get this built with the state opposing it."

"I want them to shut up and go away."