MONTPELIER. Feb. 2, 2012. On March 21st citizens from across Vermont will participate in the state’s first “crowd-sourced” film on Vermont Energy Independence Day. This is a film project about everyday acts of carpooling, insulating an attic, changing a lightbulb, or buying local. It’s also about sweeping changes found in Vermont’s homegrown renewable energy industry, the new comprehensive state energy plan, and grassroots actions of 100 town energy committees.

Anyone with a camera and image to share of Vermont’s energy transition can participate. Video clips uploaded to a YouTube channel will be organized and edited into a feature length film by Bright Blue EcoMedia.

“Crowd-sourced films are part of the rapidly changing world of digital information and storytelling,” says Vic Guadagno, Director and Producer. “The world is changing, and social media and video storytelling is driving this transition. We’ll weave together one cohesive story, as told by hundreds of individuals. We are encouraging café’s to become Community Story Centers with musical events so Vermont musicians can create the soundtrack”.

Schools, towns, businesses, and other groups are signing up to film their energy stories, host energy independence events, and network via Facebook and other social media sites leading up to March 21st.

“Vermont is emerging as a global leader in the inevitable transition away from nonrenewable energy resources, and towards a more decentralized, renewable, safe energy future.” says Executive Producer Jon Erickson, Professor and Managing Director of the University of Vermont’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics. “We hope to capture the diversity of ideas needed to achieve greater independence, and show the world what one small state can do.”

Erickson’s undergraduate ecological economics class is helping to build a “story corps” to seek out the “must film” energy stories across the state. Bright Blue is also networking with a range of other non-profit groups to recruit participants, including Vermont Natural Resources Council, Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN), 350 Vermont, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Renewable Energy Vermont, and Vermont Green.

“We have long been interested in helping to make the case for greater energy action by pulling together the stories that will inspire more people to act,” says Johanna Miller of the Vermont Natural Resource Council and coordinator of VECAN. “This film project will help create a common voice, and celebrate the grassroots energy actions sweeping the state.”

The social media campaign and film is being facilitated and produced by Bright Blue EcoMedia, the nonprofit media company that produced the regional Emmy-award winning series “Bloom” (see bloomthemovie.org). Additional information about Vermont Energy Independence Day can be found on the project’s Facebook page (facebook.com/vteid) and website (march21st.org).

Contact Vic Guadagno, Bright Blue EcoMedia
Phone: 303-247-1800  vic@brightbluemedia.org

Contact your Representatives and Senators in support of these important bills.

Energy Disclosure Bill Context
Building Energy Disclosure addresses the inability of the current marketplace to assign a value to energy efficiency in a home or building. Although energy-efficiency improvements have a tangible value in terms of energy savings and reduced annual costs, they are currently invisible in the marketplace because there is no widely used, consistent metric or method for quantifying and disclosing this information (as there is with the MPG sticker on a car). The success and fairness of such disclosure will depend in part on universal use of the same simple scoring method for each property.

S.143 Bill as Introduced

H.497 Bill as Introduced

Hearing Schedule:

The Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee Hearing
10:00 am
Wednesday, Febuary 1, 2012
State House, Room 8 in the State House.

The House Natural Resources and Energy Committee Hearing
10:30 a.m.
Friday, Febuary 3, 2012
State House, Room 41 (top floor, turn right at the top of the stairs)

Contant your Legislator

Vermont State House


115 State Street, Montpelier, VT

Energy Disclosure Legislation Benefits:

Building Energy Disclosure will provide the following direct benefits:

•    Sellers can see the value of their investment in energy efficiency improvements captured in the resale value of their buildings, encouraging investment in such improvements; and
•    Buyers may be able to consider building energy performance and related operational costs as part of their purchase decision, potentially rolling the cost of any needed improvements into long-term mortgage financing at the time of purchase.

Building Energy Disclosure will also provide the following indirect benefits:

•    Lending institutions will have a reliable method for considering energy costs as part of their underwriting criteria;
•    Appraisers will have a tool for incorporating energy performance into building valuation; and
•    Contractors will see an increase in demand for energy efficiency improvements due to their value in the marketplace, supporting job creation and economic development.

Building Energy Disclosure will also provide the following statewide benefits:

•    It will help Vermont meet our statutory goal to improve the energy efficiency of 25% of our housing stock (or 80,000 homes) by 2020, saving Vermonters money and reducing greenhouse gases.

~ solution-oriented conversations with innovative sustainability practitioners over snacks and refreshments ~

Friday, February 3:
“Taking Sustainability Literally”
3-4:30 pm – Fairchild Tower Lobby, Dartmouth College

featuring: Mark McElroy – author, Corporate Sustainability Management
Jed Davis ’83, T’85 – Director of Sustainability, Cabot Creamery

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This inaugural Sustainability Solutions Café will explore the challenge of incorporating multiple dimensions of sustainability assessment into modern business practice without resorting to meaningless corporate “green-washing”.

Come participate in café-style small group discussions, initiated and framed by Mark McElroy’s concepts of vital capitals and context-based sustainability metrics.  Cabot Creamery Director of Sustainability, Jed Davis ’83, T’85, will share how his company has used such metrics to “take sustainability literally” to the benefit of the their bottom line, employees, customers, and the environment. For more on this topic, see http://www.sustainableorganizations.org/ and a copy of Corporate Sustainability Management on reserve at  Kresge Library.

Net metering allows residential electric customers to generate their own power using small-scale renewable energy systems. Any excess power that customers produce goes back to their utilities, essentially running their electric meters backwards. Customers then get a credit on their electric bill.

The bill allows a simple 10-day registration process for systems with capacities up to 10 kilowatts. Last year, that process was only available for systems half that size. Typical home solar systems are around 7 kilowatts. This bill also clarifies how utilities should calculate the extra six cents per kilowatt hour that people with solar net metering systems receive for the excess energy they produce.

Rep. Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich, who is vice chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, said the bill will help clarify the benefits of net metering and simplify the process for slightly larger systems. It will also promote more renewable energy generation, she said.

“It is having real results,” Cheney said. “More small renewable energy systems are going up as a result of net metering laws.”

Vermont has allowed net metering since 1998, when it passed the first law allowing the practice.

The current law also addresses a controversy over net metering that has persisted over the years. It requires the Department of Public Service to issue a report analyzing whether and to what extent net metering systems are subsidized by other retail electric customers. The report is due Jan. 15, 2013.

Utilities and some ratepayers have raised concerns that customers with net metering systems are being subsidized by other customers.

Eric Werner, general manager of Hardwick Electric Department, said the small utilities in particular have concerns with net metering and the costs that are shifted to standard ratepayers.

The issue, Werner said, is when net metered customers provide power back to the grid because they produce more than they use, they receive retail rates for it. For example, a retail rate for electricity could be 18 cents per kilowatt-hour, but the utility pays 10 cents. The gap between retail and what the utility pays the generators of large-scale electricity is what pays for things like infrastructure upgrades and running the utility. Net metered customers, Werner said, can then use the grid but not contribute to the costs to maintain it.

“A lot of the issue is that net metered customers are getting an advantage, and costs are shifted to other customers,” Werner said.

Another issue, Werner said, is that installing things like solar systems generally requires a few thousand dollars, so the people who are getting the advantage generally have more money. For smaller utilities in particular, he said, net metering requires a large amount of time for staff to calculate the billing for customers with these renewable energy systems.

Cheney said the counter-argument to the subsidy argument is that all the small distributive generation provides a benefit to the entire state by alleviating utilities from having to make more capital investments. She said the study required in the new bill will hopefully put the debate to rest.

“If there does turn out to be a cost to ratepayers, we’ll do something about it,” Cheney said.

The bill still needs to go through a third reading and pass through the Senate.

Correction: This story originally stated that this year’s net metering bill will give people with solar net metering systems six cents more per kilowatt hour of excess solar energy. It will actually clarify how utilities calculate that extra six cents.

Governor Peter Shumlin is thinking big. His comprehensive energy plan calls for Vermont to receive 90% of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. This is an amazing goal for our state. If implemented, this plan would make the Green Mountain State a leader in clean energy and an example for the rest of the country. Vermont can do this — but the governor needs your support.

Tell Governor Shumlin and key lawmakers that you support this comprehensive energy plan.

It is a bold plan. In addition to the 90% renewable goal for 2050, the governor wants our state to get 75% of electricity from renewable sources within 20 years. We can’t let this opportunity get away. We need to speak out and let the governor know that he has the support it takes to make this happen.

Show your support today for a greener Green Mountain State!

Investing in renewable energy means cleaner air. It means fighting climate change. It means more jobs for our state. This is a historic chance for Vermont to lead the charge towards a cleaner, greener future.

As Vermonters, let’s tell the governor that we stand with him to do tough things and get this done. Let’s show him that momentum is on the side of clean energy. Our future depends on it.

Thanks,

David Van Deusen
Conservation Organizer
Sierra Club

Tell Governor Shumlin: We Support Your Plan!

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

How you can help:
1. Share this with your social network using Facebook and Twitter.
2. Copy and paste the following into a new email to friends:
Dear Friends,
I just told Governor Shumlin that I support his bold plan to move Vermont to 90% renewable energy by 2050. This will make Vermont a leader in clean energy and green jobs. We need to show the governor he has the support he needs to make this a reality.

Send a message of support today!

Find out more and send your message here: http://www.greenenergytimes.org/?p=3801 What: Press conference to launch VT Fossil Fuels Freedom Campaign.
When: Weds, January 25th, 10:00am
Where: Cedar Creek Room of the Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier

At the press conference, Sanders will address the need to create jobs, promote sustainable energy and defend Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

BENNINGTON

What: Sanders lays out priorities for 2012

When: 4:00 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012

Where: Bennington Police Department Conference Room, 118 South St., Bennington, Vt.

Media Contact: Michael Briggs 202-224-5141

Despite the recent cold snap, this has been one of the warmest fall/winters on record.  I hope you will join SERG in resolving to increase your commitment to saving energy and moving toward renewables in this New Year.

Here are a few resources to help you:

• Winter Energy Saving Tips for Homeowners
• LED Discounts for Vermont Businesses

Bob Walker, SERG

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Sunday, January 22: “Gasland”. This film by Josh Fox was nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar in 2011 and won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance. Learn more about the spreading technology to drill for natural gas: hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The film’s website bills it as “part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown.”

Sunday, February 12: “A Sea Change”.  It’s a frightening premise, and it’s happening right now. A Sea Change follows the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby on his quest to discover how excess carbon dioxide dissolving in our world’s oceans is changing sea water chemistry and life within.

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Winter Energy Saving Tips for Homeowners

Air leakage is the greatest source of heat loss in most homes.  The greater the temperature differential between inside and outside your house, the faster air leakage takes place and the easier it is to find.  So these cold days can help you in your detective work.

Warm air pushes up and out holes high in your home, but is hard to feel.  So take something that smokes, like incense, and hold it near typical leakage areas to the attic or outside and watch for smoke being pulled out – attic hatch or stairwell, chimney penetrations, through and around recessed lights, ceiling fans, or other plumbing and electrical penetrations.

Cold air is pulled in lower areas of the home, especially in basements and crawl spaces.  There you can usually feel the cold air blowing in on you hand where the sill meets the foundation, around bulkhead doors, basement windows and other penetrations to the outside. Seal all these high and low openings with caulk, spray foam or weatherstipping.  You can view a video that SERG helped produce on how to complete these and other Do-It-Yourself energy-saving measures at http://www.cctv.org/node/82725

Save a lot of energy by turning your thermostat down when you are away during the day or asleep at night.  The general rule of thumb is that for every degree you set your thermostat back for 8 hours every day, you will cut your fuel use by 1%.  So setting your thermostat back 10 degrees 8 hours a day while you are at work and another 8 hours a day while you are asleep, could save you 20% off your fuel bill. A programmable thermostat will help you do this automatically and let you bring the temps back up to a comfortable level by the time you get up or get home. Check out Energy Federation Inc. for programmable thermostats and other weatherization supplies You can also turn the heat off in areas of your home that you do not use during the winter.  Be careful that water pipes do not freeze and condensation does not take place in those rooms.

You can check out other Energy-Saving Tips on their website.  For professional help on Buttoning Up your home check out SERG’s Home Assessment Services.

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LED Discounts for Vermont Businesses!

Efficiency Vermont is offering businesses instant rebates on the purchase of ENERGY STAR rated, energy-efficient LED bulbs.  LEDs use much less energy than conventional bulbs, last much longer, contain no mercury and are all dimmable.

More info about this program at:  http://www.efficiencyvermont.com/for_my_business/ways-to-save-and-rebates/commercial_lighting/commercial_led/general_info/overview.aspx

A list of specific rebates, a list of participating LED vendors, and a downloadable rebate form at:  http://www.efficiencyvermont.com/for_my_business/ways-to-save-and-rebates/commercial_lighting/commercial_led/rebates.aspx

Vendors also have forms and can help you fill them out. Participating Electric Supply distributors in the Upper Valley include, CED Twin State in Wilder, Green Mountain Electric Supply in W. Lebanon and Yankee in Lebanon.

Sustainable Energy Resource Group – SERG  802-785-4126
SERG@Valley.net  www.SERG-info.org  www.UVHEAT.org  www.VECAN.net

Did you know that 47% of the population in the United States, including those “running” our country, do not believe that the changes in our climate are a result of our carbon emissions? Despite the irrefutable data given to them by unbiased scientists, many of our leader’s remain unwilling to implement policies that will move us toward a sustainable, environmentally sound future.

The people in attendance of this conference are all aware of the truth and work tirelessly to bring about the awareness of we what all need to be doing. There were workshops and round table discussions on all major areas where efficient, environmentally sound, and sustainable progress needs to be made.  Some of these included information on weatherization on a tight budget, Ambassador programs to assist small businesses in becoming more energy efficient, biomass, micro-hydro, wind, and solar projects.  Round table talks on Idle Free Zones to lessen carbon emissions, how to start a grass roots movement in your community, sustaining and mobilizing volunteers, progress in alternative modes of transportation, to include; trains, carpooling, and bus transportation.

There were individuals from varied socio-economic backgrounds and age groups. All were in support of local communities and the theme most prevalent was,  Our planet is in Peril, and we must all act NOW to affect change, and make every effort to reduce our carbon footprint.” Near zero emissions are what we must work toward.

Vermont Representative, Bernie Sanders spoke of the recognition this state is getting in Washington. Vermont, and Governor Peter Shumlin, is a national leader in environmental awareness, progress toward sustainable communities and implementation of sound practices. Vermont is being hailed as a “model” to follow.

Environmentalists are no longer being perceived as right-wing trouble makers, but more looked upon as sober, progressive, “smart” thinkers.

If you did not have the opportunity to attend this important event this year, I would highly recommend that you do so next year. The amount of information and knowledge you will gain is invaluable. No matter what role you play in your community, what state, or where in this world you are from, there are lessons you will take away that can teach you how to make a difference. Thank you VECAN for holding this inspirational conference and to Lake Morey Inn for providing such a beautiful, environmentally conscious, facility.