VT Legislative Update from March 31st

H.740 the state budget bill passed the House 135-4 with historic levels of one-time funding for climate-related projects including:

• $45m for the low-income weatherization program
• $35m for weatherization for Vermonters with moderate incomes through Efficiency Vermont.
• $20m for “financial and technical assistance for low- and moderate-income Vermonters to upgrade home electrical systems to enable installation of energy-saving technologies,” through the Clean Energy Development Fund.
• $5m to create a “Switch & Save” program to allow low- and moderate-income Vermonters to install heat pump water heaters at low or no cost, through the Clean Energy Development Fund.
• $2m for load management and energy storage for low- and moderate-income Vermonters, smaller electric utilities, and municipalities, through DPS.
• $5m for matching funds for Advanced Metering Infrastructure for rural and municipal electric utilities, through DPS.
  $48m to support municipalities with technical assistance, energy assessments and municipal weatherization, fuel switching and other potential energy-saving and resilience measures. This includes $40m in direct grants to municipalities for this work of projects up to $250,000.
• $22m in investments to expand the suite of electric and high-efficiency vehicle incentives.
  $13m in electric vehicle (EV) supply and equipment grants for EV charging stations.

H.715, the Clean Heat Standard with the goal of lowering greenhouse gas emissions from the thermal sector (energy used to heat and cool the places we live and work) passed the House on March 17th after a vote of 96-44. The bill is currently being discussed in the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee. Governor Scott has not indicated his support for the bill yet.