150+ Local Businesses & Institutions Urge Support for Renewable Energy & Vermont Net Metering Rule Improvements
MONTPELIER, VT – More than 150 local businesses and institutions ranging from farms and credit unions, to hotels, main street shops, manufacturers, and solar companies urge support for renewable energy and maintaining Vermont’s strong net metering program. The net metering program is currently in the final stages of being revised by the Public Service Board.
“As businesses and other institutions that support Vermont’s highly popular and successful net metering program, we ask you to reconsider the newly proposed net metering rule that would drastically undermine this bedrock Vermont energy program,” the coalition letter states.
“Many of us are part of the vast renewable energy supply chain in Vermont including manufacturers, contractors, and other value-added businesses who benefit from a robust clean energy industry in Vermont. Many of us are customers of net metering who chose to make the investment in a more renewable, energy independent future for Vermont. And many of us are hosts of solar projects, such as farmers, that benefit from a stable source of revenue…”
The widely supported letter demonstrates the vast and diverse economic engine generated by Vermont’s growing climate economy – particularly the renewable energy sector.
Net metering allows homes, businesses, farms, schools, towns, and other institutions generate their own clean, renewable energy. These customers invest in renewable energy systems, either on-site or remotely, stimulating the Vermont economy, helping build the distributed generation grid of the 21st century, while making our state more energy secure.
“Net metering enabled more than 7,000 customers to achieve greater energy independence, control their energy costs, save money, and reduce climate pollution to date,” said Olivia Campbell Andersen, Renewable Energy Vermont’s Executive Director. “The letter urging support for continued renewable energy choices and net metering opportunities garnering 150+ businesses and institutions signing on in a week’s time shows the tremendous importance to Vermont’s economy that we get this rule right.”
“We are thankful that the Public Service Board welcomed comments and feedback through many iterations of developing their new net metering program. It’s no small task and the rule’s impacts will be significant,” continued Campbell Andersen. “We hope the Board reconsiders its recent Order and makes final changes that allow for a sustainable, customer-responsive program going forward to avoid market disruptions that have plagued other states and stalled climate progress.”
Net metering in Vermont has helped keep Vermont’s electricity rates among the lowest in the region; reduce climate and air pollution; and make our communities more energy secure and less dependent on out of state dirty fossil fuels. Vermont consistently ranks in the top 3 nationally for solar jobs per capita thanks to net metering; with now nearly one out of every 17 workers employed in the clean energy sector.
The full letter below shows businesses who signed onto the letter.
Renewable Energy Vermont represents businesses, non-profits, utilities, and individuals committed to reducing our reliance on dirty fossil fuels by increasing clean renewable energy and energy efficiency in Vermont. Vermont’s clean energy economy supports at least 17,715 sustainable jobs, representing approximately 6% of Vermont’s workforce. Together, we will achieve 90% total renewable energy (electric, thermal, transportation) by 2050 in order to reduce climate pollution.
Acorn Renewable Energy Coop « Aegis Renewable Energy « Aelous Labs « AllEarth Renewables « AllEarth Services « Alternative Energy Development Group « Amicus Solar Cooperative « Apple Seed Condominium, Inc. « Basketville, Inc. « Batchelder Associates, PC « BB&C Wholesale « BCK Law, P.C. « Big Picture Farm « Billy Strauss Music « Bright Sky Solar 1, LLC « Bristol Electronics, Inc.« Bristol Works, LLC « C3 Energy Capital « Catamount Solar « CED Greentech « Champlain Orchards « Chittenden County Solar Partners LLC « Claire Solar Partners, LLC « Clean Energy Collective « Comfort Inn & Suites « Comfort Inn « Concept2 « Crabgrass Puppet Theater « Craftsbury Outdoor Center « Dairy Air Wind « Dartt Hill Solar Farm « DC Energy Innovations « Driven Studio « East Hill Community Solar Farm « Encore Renewable Energy « Ethical Electric, Inc « Evans Engineering, PLC « Fair Haven Community Solar, LLC « Fairlee Energy Committee « Feinberg Medical Services « Forward Thinking Consultants, LLC « Gaines Farm Community Solar, LLC « Global Garage Sale « Good Farm Community Solar, LLC « Grassroots Solar « Grandview Farm « Green Acres Solar Farm « Green Earth Energy « Green Energy Times « Green Lantern Capital « Green Mountain Electric Supply « Green Peak Solar « Guilford Center Rd Community Solar, LLC « Hand and Sun Solar « Helios Solar, LLC « High Mowing Seeds « Holiday Inn « Holiday Inn Express « Integrated Solar Applications « Janet Cavanagh Landscape Architect « Kaiser Family Farm « Kirchheimer Drive Community Solar, LLC « Legal Counselors & Advocates « M&M Solar, LLC « Maclay Architects « Mad River Community Solar Farm « MAMAVA « Marketing Partners « MaryAnn’s Bookkeeping Service « Meadows Bee Farm « Morse Farm Sugarworks « Middle Road Ventures, LLC « Namaste Solar « NextSun Energy « No-Mon-Ne Farm Associates « Norwich Tech « Novus Energy Development, LLC «NSA Industries, Inc. « Nunez Electric, LLC « O’Meara Solar « Paw Print & Mail « P&L Solar « Parhelion, LLC « Pearson and Associates « Pease Mountain Law « Peck Electric « Peck Solar « Pete’s Greens « Poulus Advisors, Inc « Power Guru « Precision Drive Community Solar, LLC « Prudent Living « Randolph Community Solar « Reiss Building & Renovation « Renewable Energy Systems & Technologies, LLC « Renewable Energy Vermont « Richmond Energy Associates, LLC « Rovers North « River Road Community Solar, LLC « Rollerdrome, LLC « SAC Incorporated « Savage Solar « Saxtons River Solar « Shaoul International Consultancy « Small Dog Electronics « Smart Suites « Snake Mountain Boatworks « Solaflect Energy « Solar Design Associates, Inc « Solar Pro « SolarCity « Solar Works « Solidarity of Unbridled Labour « Solhem Sauna, LLC « Soveren, Inc. « Snake Mountain Boatworks « Stephanie Lahar & Associates « Stickney Brook Community Solar, LLC « South Ridge Solar, LLC « Sun Catcher, LLC « SunCommon « Sundeavor « SunEdison « Sunny Side Solar Store « SunPower « Sunrise Orchards Inc « The Skinny Pancake « Townshend Community Solar, LLC « Tinker Hill Solar Farm, LLC « Triland Partners « Trudell Consulting Engineers « Twin Birches Ltd « USA Solar Store « VERA Renewables « Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility « Vermont Community Solar, LLC « Vermont Independent Energy «Vermont Natural Coatings « Vermont Refrigerated Storage « Vermont Solar, LLC « Vermont Soy « VSECU « VESCO, LLC « VIPPA « Watson Research « Watts By Hand « WBP 2 Community Solar, LLC « Wild Leek Kitchen « Whitney Blake Company « Wolfe Energy
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