With a Democratic/Progressive supermajority in the Vermont Legislature this session, environmental advocates in the state are hoping that aggressive action on climate legislation will be passed during the biennium. This week the Act on Climate Coalition discussed their expectations for proposed legislation.
The Vermont Act on Climate Coalition is a coordinated effort by more than 30 groups to push state legislators to act on climate change.
Vermont Conservation Voters Executive Director Lauren Hierl moderated a panel covering some of the top climate and energy issues likely to be in play this year.
“We are operating in the context that Vermont has adopted the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2020. So that means we now have mandatory greenhouse gas pollution reduction targets. So the policies we're discussing today are all important components of how we meet those targets and how we ensure a just transition to a clean energy future. In terms of what to expect in the legislature this year, last year we saw a huge number of retirements. We were really pleased to see a great group of new folks run for the legislature. Climate ended up being a key election issue and climate allies overwhelmingly won their races across the state.”
Conservation Law Foundation attorney Chase Whiting focused on the thermal sector. He noted that how buildings are heated is one of the state’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and said reductions are critical to meeting emissions requirements in Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act.
“Last year there was a bill called the Clean Heat Standard which was designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the thermal space in Vermont. And this year a similar bill is going to be introduced called the Affordable Heat Act. This year's bill has taken really important strides. It takes steps to limit some of the harmful forms of heating and the harms such as greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution that can result from them. It takes big steps in terms of incentivizing clean forms of heating that will, in the long run, save folks money and reduce toxic air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and it helps to ensure a more accurate and verifiable greenhouse gas emissions accounting.”
Vermont Public Interest Research Group Climate and Energy Program Director Ben Edgerly Walsh focused on renewable energy, saying the current law passed in 2015 needs to be updated especially regarding requirements for new renewables.
“The new renewables in Vermont we're pushing to see that increased from that 10% by 2032 to 20% by 2030 and 30% by 2035. That's an aggressive pace but it's doable. And if we do that, we could see 500 million to a billion dollars in additional federal tax credits flowing into Vermont's economy to get those renewables built. Vermont can and must do much better in terms of providing real tangible access to renewables for low-and-moderate income Vermonters and other historically marginalized or disadvantaged communities.”
Sierra Club Vermont Chapter Conservation Program Manager Rob Kidd reported that by 2035 all new vehicles in the state of Vermont will be electric. While that is a significant move, Kidd says much more needs to be done.
“I know there's going to be some proposals about looking into some type of cap and invest program; the Transportation Climate Initiative restoring that in Vermont. Also the idea of a vehicle efficiency price adjustment program. How can we incentivize purchasing of highly efficient vehicles and disincentivize gas guzzling vehicles. We have to look into all those different aspects of our transportation policy.”
The climate advocates plan to lobby legislators to pass a modernized Renewable Energy Standard, an Affordable Heating Act and other environmental legislation.
