Past Policy Updates

To:  VBSR Public Policy Committee
From:    Melinda Mouton, Chair Energy/Transportation/Environment (ETE) committee
Date: November 5, 2007
Re: ETE committee recommendations

I am pleased to present the report of the ETE committee. In accordance with the committee charge, we offer specific implementation action steps to promote VBSR energy policy goals. We were specifically asked to evaluate the current state of energy affairs and to make recommendations on next steps for VBSR advocacy for the 2008 legislative session including the development of specific legislative initiatives.

We had an active and educational committee process that met the other desired goal to “enhance and improve VBSR public policy advocacy by capitalizing on member knowledge, energy, and access to resources”. We had committed and dynamic members including:

• Melinda Moulton-Main Street Landing,
• Doug Dunbebin-Alphawave Designs,
• Mary Sullivan-Burlington Electric,
• Henry Erickson-Erickson Consulting,
• Paul Comey-Green Mountain Coffee,
• Dorothy Schnure-Green Mountain Power,
• Robert Forenza-Hugg a Planet,
• Jon Slason-Resource Systems Group,
• Will White-SolarWrights,
• Tom Hengelsberg-Truex Collins,
• Nancy Wasserman-VEIC,
• Avram Patt- Washingtion Electric Coop.
• VBSR staff Andrea Cohen and Will Patten were also active participants.

To accomplish our work we consulted with other topic experts and advisors who either participated at meetings or in e-mail discussions. Attached please see the table listing some of these people.

The work of the committee re-affirms the existing VBSR public policy position (see Energy and Transportation Policy Statement 2007) and follows from the primary goal to:

Reduce climate change impacts on Vermont economy, and energy and transportation costs to business, by first reducing Vermont’s use of energy through conservation and improved energy efficiency, and by ensuring our remaining energy and transportation needs are met from sustainable, environmentally sound, and safe energy sources.

Also attached are summaries of the eight-committee meetings. We are pleased to answer any questions from the public policy committee.

ETE Team Participating Experts:
Governor’s Commission on Climate Change:
James Moore, VPIRG
John Sayles, Deputy Secretary, ANR
Paul Comey, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

Utility Perspective:
Mary Sullivan, Burlington Electric
Doty Schnure, Green Mountain Power
Avram Patt, Washington Electric

Green Building:
Chuck Reiss-Reiss Building
Rebecca Leet-William McClay and Associates
Tom Hengelsberg-Truex Collins
Nancy Mears-Vermont Green Building
Henry Erickson-Erickson Consulting

Transportation:
Jon Slason-Resource Systems Group
Scott Johnstone-CCMPO
Chris Cole-CCTA
Richard Watts-UVM Transportation Center
Elizabeth Curtis-Trainriders NE.

Renewable Energy:
Will White-SolarWrights
Sam Swanson-Pace University
Adam Necreason-for REV
Note: other members offered comments re: email (NRG, Earthturbines, GroSolar).

VBSR Energy, Transportation and Environment Committee
November 2, 2007
Recommended next steps for 2008 legislative session and public policy advocacy.

VBSR will work with our members, colleagues, legislators, and the Administration to ensure that our energy and climate change public policy objectives are realized. We identify here specific public policy directions to pursue that the committee determined to effective and feasible.  

Many of these recommendations will require financial investment from the public sector. This investment will see returns by way of reduced expenditures for electricity, home, and motor fuels over the long term, and in the creation of “green economy” business clusters and well paying jobs. Public sector investment will also attract other private sector financial investment.  Potential sources of funding include the use of carbon taxes to provide incentives for conservation and efficiency.

Vermont businesses need reliable energy service and predictable energy prices.  We require immediate action to move away from polluting and unsustainable energy sources. We must invest now in cleaner, safer, and renewable energy and in energy conservation. Twenty years from now we must be in control of our energy options instead of restricted, as we are today, to unsatisfactory choices. There is need for immediate leadership and action toward this goal. We believe smart planning and entrepreneurship, citizen and business action, and bold political leadership are necessary to effectuate this change.

Success will be measured if significant progress is made on the following:

Reducing Vermont’s use of energy through conservation and improved energy efficiency:

1. Establish an aggressive Vermont energy conservation goal.
2. Expand the scope of the Efficiency Utility to include all-fuels and make it permanent (with associated accountability provisions and performance measures).
3. Increase the availability and use of public transportation by Improving land-use planning and “smart growth” to facilitate biking, walking, and use of public transportation. -Creating a Statewide Public Transportation Authority (or other proven delivery model) to ensure inter-modal efficiency and implementation of 50-year transportation planning. -Requiring that energy use and climate change impact be evaluated as part of all VTrans planning activities. - Increasing state employee use of public transportation by providing financial incentives such as bus pass reimbursement.
4. Ensure energy efficient buildings through regulatory and financial incentives. Including density bonuses, regulatory streamlining, reducing appraisal value by energy efficiency investment, and financing incentives. All public buildings and publicly financed buildings to meet strict energy standards including VEDA and VEPC projects, public schools, and section 8 housing.

Development of Sustainable, Environmentally sound, and Safe Energy Sources.

1. Establish a Vermont renewable energy goal of 25% by 2025.
2. Provide the Vermont Public Service Board with the necessary powers and resources to maximize the development of in-state renewable energy. Create a 25 year energy plan that maximizes the transition to renewable energy sources.
3. Create a meaningful renewable energy development regulatory and financial incentive package. This includes increased caps for net metering, streamlined renewable energy permitting, fair and stable tax rates for renewable energy developers, meaningful tax credits/rebates for energy users who invest in renewable energy systems, and property appraisals tied to the value of the property not the cost of renewable energy investment.
4. Ensure energy sources are fully evaluated for environmental and safety externalities and true costs are identified.

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