How Power Plant Oversight Works in Vermont

Vermont is a small state with an unusually varied power system. Instead of a few giant stations, it has hundreds of small hydroelectric dams, solar arrays, wood-fired units and wind sites spread across 14 counties. This page lists those facilities, and the county pages below help you find the one near you. Most entries are working sites, not public counters, so it helps to know who actually answers questions about them.

Three bodies matter most. The Vermont Public Utility Commission, based in Montpelier, decides whether a new generating plant may be built under Title 30, Section 248 of the Vermont Statutes. Its approval is called a Certificate of Public Good. The Vermont Department of Public Service speaks for ratepayers in those cases and writes the state's long-range energy plan. The Agency of Natural Resources, through its Department of Environmental Conservation, handles water quality certification, air permits and dam safety.

Federal oversight applies too. Larger hydroelectric dams on rivers such as the Connecticut need a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Those licenses set minimum river flows and public access rules, and the filings are public. If you want to comment on a relicensing or a proposed project, the docket is the right place to start, not the plant gate.

Local rules still count. Towns review projects through their planning commissions, and regional planning commissions weigh in on how a plant fits local plans. Larger developments can also trigger Act 250, Vermont's land-use review law. Together these layers explain why one solar farm can involve a town hearing, a state docket and a stormwater permit.

State policy also shapes what gets built. Vermont's Renewable Energy Standard, adopted in 2015 and strengthened since, requires utilities to supply rising shares of renewable power. That policy is one reason small hydro, solar and biomass keep appearing in the listings, and why older dams are usually relicensed and upgraded rather than abandoned.

Hydro Plants on Vermont's Rivers, From Vernon to Barnet

Water power came first here, and it still shapes the listings in many counties. Mills went up at river falls in the 1800s, and many of those same drops now carry small turbines. The names in our database show it: Clark Falls in Milton, Cadys Falls in Morristown, Beldens in New Haven, East Barnet in Barnet, and Bolton Falls in Duxbury. Each sits where a river drops far enough to turn a generator.

The best-known name in the southeast is Vernon Dam on the Connecticut River, in Windham County. It stands near the former Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, which stopped generating in December 2014 and has been in decommissioning since. Some people search for Vernon expecting an operating nuclear station. The dam is a separate facility that still makes hydroelectric power. Vernon has four listings in our database, and Searsburg, also in Windham County, is known for an early utility-scale wind project.

The Northeast Kingdom and central Vermont lean on small run-of-river plants. Caledonia County lists East Barnet and West Danville 15. Orange County includes Boltonville Hydro Associates in Newbury. Washington County adds Wrightsville Hydro Plant in Montpelier, Marshfield 6, Green Mountain Power Plant 5 in Berlin, and Moretown Generating Station. A run-of-river plant releases roughly what flows in, so output swings with spring melt and late-summer dry spells.

Treat every dam and powerhouse as private industrial property. Water releases can raise a river within minutes, and the warning signs near intakes and tailraces mean it. Many licenses require some public access, such as a fishing spot or a boat portage, so check the owner's recreation page before you go. Never climb fences or walk on a dam crest, even if the water looks low.

Chittenden County Versus the Rural Counties

Chittenden County holds the most listings of any county, and it is easy to see why. It is Vermont's most populous county, with Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Milton and Shelburne all inside it. Our database places Gorge 18 Power Plant on Berard Drive in South Burlington, Whitcomb Solar Farm on South Street in Essex, Sheldon Solar on Heather Lane in Shelburne, and the Burlington Electric Generating Power Plant on Lake Street. Sites here sit close to major roads and large substations, so they are the easiest to reach.

Utilities explain a lot about who owns what. Green Mountain Power serves the largest share of customers statewide. Burlington Electric Department is city-owned. Vermont Electric Cooperative and Washington Electric Cooperative serve rural members, and several towns run municipal utilities, including Hardwick, Lyndonville, Stowe and Swanton. A plant's owner is often one of these, so your electric bill is a good clue to who runs the plant nearest you.

Rural counties look different. Rutland County centers on the city of Rutland, which has five listings, including a site at 296 Greens Hill Lane. Addison County pairs Middlebury College at 84 South Street with Beldens in New Haven, Salisbury on Maple Street, and Vergennes 9 on Main Street. Further north, Orleans County lists Newport on Clyde Street, and Franklin County lists the St. Albans Speed Project on South Main Street. Expect to drive between sites rather than walk.

Look at the addresses and you will see Power Plant Road in Cavendish, Danville, Duxbury and Marshfield. The road names point to the plant at the end of them, and some roads are narrow or unpaved. In mud season and after winter storms, a site that looks close on a map can take far longer to reach. Check town road notices before you set out, and use a vehicle with decent clearance.

Solar, Wood and Newer Generation Across Vermont

Solar has grown quickly in Vermont, and projects of different sizes need different approvals. Small rooftop and ground-mounted systems usually register under the Public Utility Commission's net-metering rule, while larger arrays go through the full Certificate of Public Good process. Whitcomb Solar Farm in Essex and Sheldon Solar in Shelburne show how utility-scale arrays now sit beside farmland and village edges. Neighbors and towns receive notice of larger projects, so watch for mailed or posted hearing dates.

Wood is part of the picture too. Burlington also hosts the McNeil Generating Station, a wood-fired plant operated by Burlington Electric Department. Middlebury College appears in the listings because of its campus energy facilities, a reminder that some plants serve one institution rather than the public grid.

Who to Contact for Each Kind of Question

Pick the contact that matches your problem, and you will save time:

For an emergency near any plant, call 911 first. Then call the utility, which keeps crews on call around the clock. Use the address in each listing to confirm the site before you reach out.

Power plant facilities in Vermont include a mix of federal, state, and municipally owned generation assets that contribute to the region's overall electricity supply. Vermont's energy mix and the number of publicly owned facilities reflect the state's natural resources, regulatory environment, and historical development of its utility infrastructure.

Power Plant locations are available in 69 cities across Vermont. They are spread across 15 counties.

Areas with the highest concentration of power plant locations include South Burlington, Rutland, Milton, often reflecting proximity to water resources, fuel supply infrastructure, or industrial demand centers.

Residents of Vermont who are customers of a municipal or public power utility can contact their local power authority for billing assistance, energy efficiency programs, and information about planned outages or infrastructure upgrades in their service area.

Power Plant by Counties

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Residents of Vermont who receive electricity service from a publicly owned utility can visit or contact that utility's customer service office to learn about outage reporting, billing options, and energy assistance programs. For information about a specific power generation facility in Vermont, contacting the state's public utility commission is often the best starting point.

Browse Power Plant by county across Vermont to find the nearest location.

Using the Vermont Power Plant Listings Well

Treat each listing as a map pin and a starting point. Many Vermont plants are unstaffed or visited only by line crews, so there is often no front desk to walk up to. A listing with a street address, such as 1 Lake Street in Burlington or 76 Governor Hunt Road in Vernon, tells you where the site is. It does not mean visitors are welcome inside.

Before you travel, confirm three things. First, whether the site is open to the public at all. Second, who owns it today, since Vermont plants change hands and several have been renamed over the decades. Third, whether road or weather conditions will get in the way. Winter ice, spring flooding and autumn mud all change how a rural route feels. Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and the July 2023 floods damaged roads and riverside infrastructure in several counties, and repair work can still affect access.

Students, journalists and researchers have a better route. Ask the utility's communications office for a scheduled visit, and request it weeks ahead. Utilities handle security carefully, and tours, where offered, are usually arranged for groups. Anyone with a complaint about a nearby site should keep dates, times and photos, then send them to the right agency.

If you are comparing regions, start with Chittenden County for solar and urban sites, Addison County for river sites around Middlebury and Vergennes, and Windsor County for places such as Deweys Mill in Hartford and Cavendish Hydro.

Power Plant Questions Vermonters Ask

The Vermont Public Utility Commission decides. A developer of a new generating plant files a petition under 30 V.S.A. § 248 and must earn a Certificate of Public Good before building. The Commission looks at effects on air and water quality, aesthetics, public health and system reliability, and it weighs the state's energy plan. The Department of Public Service takes part on behalf of ratepayers, and towns and regional planning commissions receive notice. Smaller net-metered systems follow a simpler registration path, though they still need local permits and a utility interconnection review. Check the Commission's case filings for the current status of any project.

Sometimes, but not by default. Most plants are working industrial sites, and operators keep gates locked for safety and security. Some hydroelectric licenses require public recreation access, such as a signed fishing area or a boat launch near a dam, and those are usually posted. For anything beyond that, contact the owner in advance and ask whether tours are offered. Stay out of fenced areas, tailraces and the downstream channel, because water releases can start without warning. If you see an open gate or a damaged fence, report it to the utility rather than going in to look.

No. The nuclear plant in Vernon stopped producing power in December 2014 and is in decommissioning, which federal and state regulators oversee. The Vernon Dam in our listings, at 76 Governor Hunt Road, is a different facility on the Connecticut River and generates hydroelectric power. The two share a town, which is why people often mix them up. For questions about the decommissioning site, the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel and the Department of Public Service publish updates and hold public meetings.

Start with the notice you receive. Adjoining landowners and the town are notified of Section 248 petitions, and the Public Utility Commission sets deadlines for public comment and for formal intervention. You can send written comments through the Commission's case system or ask to speak at a public hearing. If you want legal party status, you must file a motion to intervene by the stated date. Contact your town's selectboard and planning commission as well, since they can file their own positions. Keep comments specific: noise, views, stormwater, wildlife and traffic carry more weight than general opposition.

Look at your electric bill first. Green Mountain Power serves the largest share of customers, Burlington Electric Department serves Burlington, and Vermont Electric Cooperative and Washington Electric Cooperative serve many rural members. Municipal utilities operate in towns such as Hardwick, Lyndonville, Stowe and Swanton. Independent owners also run some small hydro and solar sites, so the plant near you may not belong to your own utility. The Department of Public Service keeps a directory of Vermont utilities, and the owner's name often appears on the gate sign or in Commission filings. Call the utility's main line rather than the plant.

Population and rivers both play a part. Chittenden County has the state's largest population, the Winooski and Lamoille rivers running through it, and newer solar arrays near Essex and Shelburne. Addison County sits along Otter Creek, the longest river entirely within Vermont, and the New Haven River, which supply water for small hydro in the county. Sparsely populated counties such as Essex County and Lamoille County tend to show fewer sites. A low count reflects population and river geography, not any lesser role in the local power supply.