Past Policy Updates

Picture above is from the Valentine's Day Blizzard...the Valentine bandit has been covering Montpelier and the statehouse with hearts for the past few years. Nice. The Legislature was still pushing ahead all week despite the roads in town being a mess and the sidewalks unfindable…

BUILDINGS EFFICIENCY COALITION PRESS CONFERENCE

Please come to the Buildings Efficiency Coalition press conference tomorrow (11:30, Cedar Creek Room, Statehouse). VBSR and our partners will be advocating for creation of a Building Efficiency system that provides "one-stop-point-of-entry" for residential, commercial and industrial Vermont buildings so owners and builders will have access to all efficiency and renewable energy resources when designing new and retrofitting existing buildings.

This approach will create new jobs and continuous improvement in the affordability, sustainability and efficiency of Vermont's buildings. From the Coalition's purpose statement:

• Make Vermont a leader in Building Efficiency.
  Building Efficiency is all about smart choices, sound investments; affordability; new jobs; and an improved environment.
• Provide Comprehensive and Coordinated Services.
  Vermont has a good foundation for this effort. The system should build on, expand, and increase effective coordination among existing building efficiency providers.
• Provide fair and stable financing.
  All fuel providers need to be on a "level playing field" by contributing their fair share to support efficiency programs.
• Document and build upon Success.
  We have come a long way. We need to go further. Efficiency programs should be performance-based, and both savings gained and market changes attained should be carefully documented.

A partial list of current coalition supporters includes:

• Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility
• Central Vermont Community Action Council
• Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity
• Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition
• Vermont Public Interest Research Group
• Conservation Law Foundation
• Burlington Electric Department
• Washington Electric Cooperative
• Vermont Natural Resources Council
• Building for Social Responsibility
• Vermont Low Income Advocacy Council
• Sustainable Energy Resource Group
• Andy Shapiro, Energy Balance, Inc.
• Bill Maclay, William Maclay Architects & Planners
• Joseph Cincotta, LineSync Architecture
• Michael Dworkin
• Mike Rogers

The bill that incorporates this approach that the Coalition is supporting is S. 94.

Workforce Development

VBSR testified last week in House Commerce on a draft workforce development bill. We testified that:

• We are very supportive of job training that includes internships and experiential learning.
• Priority for training dollars should be for programs where we know there will be job placements at the conclusion of the training. (This speaks to the necessity of employers being involved in the development and implementation of the training program).
• Priority should be to provide high quality jobs with livable wages.
• Job sectors should be prioritized based on priority public policy areas such as energy conservation and environmental technology.

We made particular note of the emerging need for people skilled in energy efficiency retrofitting and weatherization, that there is potential for hundreds of jobs that would also assist in avoidance of future energy costs. See today's Free Press on-line (top stories) for a story on the workforce development bill.

Fairpoint Presentation Wednesday, NH

VBSR member Michael Cohen passed this item on for your information. The COO of Fairpoint, Peter Nixon, will be speaking on Wed., 7:30 a.m. in Lebanon NH. He will speak to the pending transaction and why this deal is "in the best interests of customers, communities, employees and shareholders". Get more information and register.

Check out the Legislature's web site to see copies of bills or to track bills.

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