Vermont Legislature Passes Historic Renewable Energy Bill

Peter Sterling, Renewable Energy Vermont

The Vermont Legislature took a significant step towards meeting its greenhouse gas reduction requirements by passing H289, the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) Reform bill. This bill will make Vermont just the second state in the nation, along with Rhode Island, to mandate 100% renewable energy.

Chart used by REV in committee testimony and by the VT Public Service Department showing the trend for the price of renewables is continuing to drop compared to fossil fuels. (BNEF, RMI X-Change: Electricity 2023)

Highlights of H.289 include:

• Requiring all utilities use 100% renewable energy by 2035

• GHG reduction equivalent to taking up to 240,000 cars off the road by 2035

• Providing $400m in greenhouse gas reduction benefits and $51m in health benefits from reduced pollutants

• More than quadrupling the number of new renewables used by Vermonters ensuring that as we convert to EVs and cold climate heat pumps, more power comes from renewables and less from fossil fuels

• Reducing our dependence on New England’s 64 oil and gas fossil fuel plants larger than 50 MW. 65% of these plants are located in communities with a higher-than-average share of people of color and 60% are in communities with a higher-than-average share of low-income residents, but none are located in Vermont!

This bill was passed thanks to the unswerving leadership of House Speaker Jill Krowinski, Senate Pro Tem Phil Baruth and over two years of hard work from coalition partners Sierra Club, 350VT, VT Businesses for Social Responsibility, Conservation Law Foundation, VT Natural Resources Council, VT Conservation Voters and VPIRG.

The Vermont House voted 99-39 in favor of H289 while the Senate voted 18-8 in favor. One reason for the lopsided votes was the testimony showing the small impact on electric rates H289 would have. In fact, throughout committee testimony, legislators heard that meeting new electric load using new renewables would be cheaper than trying to bring on new fossil plants (see chart).

It is important to note that, H289 creates a requirement for the purchase of larger scale new renewables which allows Vermont utilities to access the affordable electricity generated by off shore wind off the coast of New England.

Vermont has not amended its Renewable Portfolio Standard, the RES, since 2015, the only state in New England to not do so. The current RES is woefully inadequate to meet the challenge of climate change- calling for just 75% renewables by 2032 with just 10% of that power coming from in-state distributed generation.

As expected, Governor Phil Scott vetoed the bill citing his preference for his administration’s bill which does not get Vermont to a 100% renewable energy future and does much less to bring new renewable on line. The Legislature has set a date June 18^th for the veto override session. Given the strong votes in favor of the bill in the House and Senate, supporters of RES reform feel confident that a veto by Governor Scott will be overridden and Vermont will be on its way to a 100% renewable energy future.

Peter Sterling is the Executive Director of Renewable Energy Vermont, the trade association representing Vermont businesses working towards a renewable energy future.