Past Policy Updates

House committee assignments were announced on Tuesday last week. Some of the new committee Chairs include: Steve Maier - Health Care; David Deen - Fish and Wildlife; Janet Ancel - Education; and Warren Kitzmiller - Commerce. Jim Masland who has much experience in Natural Resources was moved to Transportation reportedly to play an active role in climate change initiatives related to transportation policy. Take a look at  the full list of Committee assignments.

Energy/Climate Change/Environment

If you missed the news, there was much buzz at the statehouse last week (and continuing this week, and so forward) regarding climate change. Special speakers were brought in to address joint committee meetings, including: Bill McKibbon - Author; Allen Betts - Climate scientist; and Amory Lovins - Rocky Mountain Institute. (All these presentations were videotaped and will be available for viewing at some future time - I will let you know when). House Natural Resources also heard from: Prof. Michael Dworkin - Vermont Law School; Rich Sedano - Regulatory Assistance Project; James Volz - Chairman PSB; and David O'Brien - Commissioner DPS.

Some climate change and energy bills have already been introduced and many more expected. Senator Lyons, Chair of Senate Natural Resources, and Robert Dostis, Chair of House Natural Resources plan to focus most of their committee time on energy and climate change. Currently they are bringing in witnesses to brief returning and new committee members on current law, plans, and policy.

Some of the bills already introduced include:

• S.10 - An Act Relating to Large Electricity User Fees and Green Building Credits for Large, New, Conditioned Buildings.
  The bill proposes to assess a large electricity user fee, in the amount of one percent of the price of the building, on a new heated or cooled building with a floor space that exceeds 4,000 square feet. The fee shall be reduced by the amount of green building credits for which the owner is qualified. Funds will be deposited into the clean energy development fund. No fee is due if a building is certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as meeting its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
• S.11 - Regulation of Small, Local, Sustainable, Electricity Generators, and Urging the ISO to Order Cost-Sharing for Demand-Side Measures.
  This bill proposes to require the department of public service to propose to the general assembly legislation that would establish a streamlined section 248 review process for local, sustainable generators of electrical energy of less than five MW. It also proposes to require the department of public service to work with Congress to exempt these small generators from FERC jurisdiction. It also proposes to require the department of public service to request the New England Independent System Operator (ISO) to assure that regionwide cost-sharing applies to demand-side measures, conservation, and local power generation that decrease the need for poles and wires.
• S.12 - An Act Relating to Authorizing the PSB to Establish a Program For Efficiency Improvements or Renewable Energy Enhancements to Be Provided at Monthly Costs that are Less than the Monthly Savings from the Improvements.
  This bill proposes to authorize the public service board to establish a Pay-as-You-Save (PAYS® ) program, which allows customers to purchase and install cost-effective efficiency improvements or renewable energy enhancements with no up-front payment or debt commitment, and to pay for the costs of the improvements over time as an additional charge on their monthly utility bill.

VBSR will continue to work closely with our partners to bring about legislative action that will ensure an environmentally sound and economically sustainable energy future for Vermont.

Health Care

So far only one bill has been introduced re: Health Care (see S.21 which is entitled "Eliminating the Rule Prohibiting Small Businesses from Buying Health Insurance Unless 75 Percent of Employees Enroll."). The House Health Care and the Senate Health and Welfare committees spent most of the week getting briefings from various Agency officials and service providers on current legislation and implementation status.

Other

• Education and money Committees spent time last week getting briefed on the Brigham decision, education financing, and education expenditures. We continue to work with our partners to communicate that the focus must be primarily on the quality of education while we explore ways to contain cost of education. An analysis the State's public education expenditures, commissioned by the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont Business Roundtable, was presented to the House Education and House Ways and Means committees.
• At the meeting on the Council on the Future of Economic Development last Monday, speaker panels presented all day. While it was very refreshing to hear some alternatives perspectives offered about how we best measure economic progress and success, not all members seemed open to the ideas. The Gund Institute discussed alternative indicators to be considered including "quality of life", "environmental health", etc. Doug Hoffer was also present and challenged committee members to dig deeper into the traditional indicators so to know what they really do (and do not) mean. We will continue to track and offer perspectives from our members. Next meeting is Feb. 12.

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

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