Vermont lawmakers have voted down a rule that would have required large wind turbine projects to be built thousands of feet away from nearby homes.
The Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules has voted to strike the "setback" requirement that would have required that the distance between a turbine and nearby homes be at least 10 times the turbine's height.
The Burlington Free Press reports that the committee's decision is not binding, but a member of the Public Utility Commission, which proposed the rule, says the agency will accept the result.
The distance regulation was part of a broader rule meant to limit the effect of the noise generated by the turbines. The committee did not reach a decision on a requirement that would limit noise output.
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