VNRC's 2008 Energy and Climate Change Legislative Goals

January 2008

VNRC will be working hard in the 2008 legislative session to help Vermont save energy, save money and generate clean, renewable supplies of power by pushing for implementation of the 38 recommendations of the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change.

That includes starting first with supporting the passage of S.209 – the Vermont Energy Efficiency and Affordability Act. This bill would help meet the goals of two of the climate change commission’s top recommendations — expanding Efficiency Vermont’s electrical energy programs and expanding their mandate to include heating oil. According to the Climate Commission report, these efficiency expansions would reduce carbon by 26.8 million metric tons. With an initial investment of $762 million over 20 years, using the Department of Public Service’s estimates, these efficiency measures would save Vermonters over $2 billion over that 20-year period.

Beyond S.209, VNRC will be supporting two other comprehensive climate change bills that will help Vermont move away from costly land use and energy consumption practices and towards a more sustainable, green energy future. These two bills, essentially, would implement the 38 policy recommendations of the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change.

VNRC views the policy recommendations of the Climate Change Commission — on which VNRC served — as Vermont’s roadmap to success. As such, VNRC will be pressing hard for policies and practices at the legislative and local level that will meet the aggressive goals established by the governor and supported by the Legislature to reduce Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions nearly 80 percent by 2050.

Please stay tuned and stay engaged in ongoing efforts to pass these important energy and climate change measures.

For more information or to get involved, contact Johanna Miller at jmiller@vnrc.org or 802-223-2328.