Clean energy for a stable climate
I’m committed to acting on climate and pursuing innovative policies that are responsible and equitable. As a member of the House Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee this term, I will work to ensure we keep moving forward in combatting climate change while helping to reduce overall household spending on energy. Due to uncertainty about federal funding under the Trump Administration, we may face headwinds in accessing the expected funding for incentives and rebates described at this link.
More renewable energy, sooner
Renewable Energy Standard (Act 179)
What is a Renewable Energy Standard?
A Renewable Energy Standard (RES) specifies how much renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) our electric utilities must procure to ensure a cleaner grid. Legislators worked with electric utilities, environmental groups, housing groups and others to update the current RES that was passed in 2015. The new RES directs all Vermont utilities to achieve 100% renewable energy purchases by at least 2035. The bill doubles the amount of new in-state renewables and sets a higher target for renewables from regional sources. Here is an overview of the RES.
Will it increase electric bills?
The Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) tracks the costs and benefits of complying with the RES every year, and these reports show that our electric utilities have been able to meet the current requirements without big cost increases. In considering higher renewable targets last year, the DPS ran several different scenarios that showed a range of costs but none of the scenarios matched up with the bill we passed this year. DPS proposed a different approach than the RES, called a Clean Energy Standard, that would enable nuclear power to count towards the targets, in the interest of reducing cost impacts. The Joint Fiscal Office analyzed the costs of the bill as passed and their fiscal note estimates a modest cost increase over ten years even without nuclear. I share concerns about the cost of electricity and worked on legislation to address this (see last section).
Cleaner heating options
Thermal Energy Networks
I worked closely with advocates and committee members on legislation (S.305/Act 142) that supports clean heating at the neighborhood-level via Thermal Energy Networks or TENs. To reduce our reliance on fossil fuels for heating buildings, this technology brings the concept of geothermal energy to a larger footprint like a neighborhood or downtown. Underground networks of water-filled pipes can provide heating and cooling to connected buildings using networked geothermal, taking advantage of the stable temperature deep below the ground, and/or waste heat from other systems like wastewater. The bill we passed clarifies that municipalities may operate a TEN just like a public water or wastewater system, without requiring authorization from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). For electric utilities to develop such networks, the bill tasks the PUC with some analysis of the permitting, construction, operation, and rates of TENs as well as recommendations for any necessary statutory changes.
Affordable Heat Act (S.5/Act 18)
What is the Affordable Heat Act?
This is a complex law passed in 2023 that sets Vermont on a course to cleaner heating, reducing our reliance on fossil fuel sources that contribute to climate change. It directs the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to design a program that would drive more investment in clean heating equipment and energy efficiency improvements for households and businesses. The program must direct a set amount of clean heat program benefits to low- and moderate-income Vermonters to ensure an equitable roll-out. Funding from requiring fuel dealers to earn or buy clean heat credits based on the amount of heating fuel sold would be used to help Vermonters transition to lower-cost, sustainable clean heat (weatherizing homes, installing cold-climate heat pumps, etc.).
Here is an overview of the clean heat standard program envisioned in the bill. Before January, 2025, the next Legislature was to receive a draft rule from the PUC and then vote on whether to approve, revise or reject the proposed program during the 2025-2026 session.
What’s next for the Affordable Heat Act?
The PUC completed its draft rule process to understand how much the Clean Heat Standard policy approach could increase the cost of propane and heating fuel and how effective it would be at reducing emissions in an equitable way. See the January 2025 PUC report and recommendations here.
Summary of Joint Hearing with Senate Natural Resources & Energy (1/16/25)
Public Utility Commission Chair Ed McNamara presented a 274-page report describing steps to implement the Clean Heat Standard, as required by the Affordable Heat Act (Act 18 of 2023).
Impact on fossil-fuel heating prices estimated by the Scott Administration and others - $0.70/gallon fuel oil to $4 or more. PUC estimated a much lower cost impact - $0.08/gallon next year to $0.58 in ten years.
Despite these lower cost estimates, the PUC recommended not moving forward with the CHS because it believes Vermont is too small to create a viable credit market on its own.
The PUC believes that existing programs could more quickly and cost-effectively be leveraged (e.g., low-income Weatherization Assistance Program, Efficiency VT, Tier 3 requirements on electric distribution utilities under the Renewable Energy Standard)
The PUC offered some alternative paths such as a simple fuel tax, or a "Thermal Benefits Charge" similar to the Electric Efficiency Charge currently levied on electric bills that funds Efficiency Vermont, which could be designed to be more progressive than a simple consumption tax.
Keeping electric rates affordable
Although we cannot control the price of fossil fuels, as a global commodity, there are things we can do in Vermont to help keep electric rates affordable as the energy system changes to cleaner sources. While electricity prices may rise, overall spending on energy is projected to decline as we transition to electric cars and heating. As our homes become “smarter” and connected to the electric grid via grid-integrated water heaters and electric car and home batteries, for example, they can act as “virtual power plants”, helping to store or discharge power as needed to reduce costly peaks, stabilizing electric rates and improving the reliability of the grid. In the meantime, there is wide variability in the costs of electricity depending on where you live and which utility serves your home, and not all our utilities offer accessible energy assistance programs for low- and moderate-income Vermonters. In S.305/Act 142, we tasked the Pubic Utilities Commission with studying current and potential future programs and initiatives focused on reducing or stabilizing energy costs (including electricity, heating and transportation) for low- or moderate-income households and determining whether a statewide program to reduce energy burden is needed in Vermont.