Vermont Public Service Department Announces Total Energy Study Public Meeting and Public Comment Period

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont Public Service Department (PSD), will hold a Public Meeting and Webinar on the Total Energy Study (TES) on November 14^th, 6:30-8:00pm. The meeting will be held at the State House in Room 11 (115 State Street, Montpelier). To connect via Webinar, the public may preregister atwww4.gotomeeting.com/register/276236743.  The PSD is also opening a Public Comment period through December 2^nd.

In the TES, the PSD is identifying the most promising policy and technology pathways to employ in order to reach Vermont’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas goals in an integrated and comprehensive manner. The TES is required by Act 170 of 2012, as modified by the legislature by Act 89 of 2013. The State goals that the study addresses are:

The PSD has worked with the other agencies of the Climate Cabinet and numerous stakeholders to develop initial results, which Dr. Asa Hopkins, Director of Energy policy and Planning, will present at the meeting.

The PSD will deliver the Total Energy Study report to the Legislature in mid-December.  However, analysis will continue through next spring, with additional results expected in the early summer.  At this public meeting, the PSD will inform the public about the State’s progress on the study and request comments and feedback. In particular, the PSD seeks public input on the pros and cons of policy sets which have been selected for further analysis.

“We have learned a great deal about the policy options available to the state over the summer and fall. We hope that at this meeting, and through the comment period to follow, members of the public will get to see the work done, and share what they see as the most promising  ways the state could approach meeting its renewable energy and greenhouse gas goals,” said Dr. Hopkins. “We found the thousands of comments we received on the Comprehensive Energy Plan to be incredibly valuable, and expect inputs on this study to be equally enlightening.

More information about the Total Energy Study is available on the PSD website at: www.publicservice.vermont.gov/publications/total_energy_study . Regular updates about up-coming public meetings, public comment periods, and published documents will be posted on this webpage.