Editor’s note: This commentary is by Jenna Whitson, of Huntington, who is the community and policy manager at the Vermont Council on Rural Development.
[S]ome may hear the words “climate economy” and feel disconnected from the concept. Some may think it’s all about solar electric generation; others may think that market-ready advances in energy and efficiency are a dream for the future. However, myriad creative Vermont businesses of all types and sizes are already growing this economic sector in Vermont and finding ways to reinvent, innovate, and collaborate in response to climate change while stimulating green economic development, boosting profitability, and creating jobs. Vermont businesses are leading the way and developing competitive strategies that are beginning to build our national reputation and could stand to position Vermont, yet again, as an example for the rest of the nation.
At the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), we have been collecting and sharing the stories of these innovative business leaders. VCRD’s Climate Innovator Stories showcase the pioneering work of individual leaders, but when added up, demonstrate Vermont’s ingenuity and creativity in this arena and tell the collective story of Vermont as a national climate economy leader.
“Green design” is increasingly becoming an integral part of Vermont’s buildings and communities. In Windham County, a Green Economy Innovation Hub has formed to unite a regional cluster of green building assets and accelerate development to become a combined growth engine for the region. In Bennington, The Timberline Panel Co. is one of several Vermont companies that manufacture structural insulated panels (SIPs), one of the most sustainable, energy-efficient construction methods in the residential and light commercial building industry today.
From fuel dealers to renewable energy developers, to farmers, manufacturers and ski areas, businesses in our state are innovating with new products and ideas that reduce our carbon emissions and creatively use and reuse the earth’s limited resources.
Working lands businesses, a critical foundation of our state’s economy, are capitalizing on opportunities to save on production costs through efficiency and finding ways to innovate and lead as our state tackles climate change. Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport is making use of manure, farm byproducts and food waste from colleges, ski resorts, and hospitals in their on-farm digester to contribute to energy production. Agrilab in Enosburg has developed ways to generate heat in the composting process — helping farms generate thermal energy while reducing fossil fuel emissions, building soil, and cleaning water by reducing run off.
Renewable energy companies in Vermont are thriving, and our state leads the nation in clean energy jobs per capita. We are advancing distributed electric generation, smart grid technologies, and learning to balance electric loads with resilient power technologies with leading companies from our local utilities and VELCO to industry leaders like the Northern Reliability energy storage systems. Fuel dealers in the state are also identifying creative ways to boost business and answer customer demand for efficiency and clean energy. The Energy Co-op of Vermont, a fuel dealer delivering heating oil, kerosene, and wood pellets, is working with their customers to make their homes more energy efficient, offering energy audits, completing home energy upgrades, and installing super-efficient cold-climate heat pumps resulting in a reduction of 18 percent in customer oil use over the past 10 years.
Vermont’s manufacturing sector is playing a leading role in the state’s climate economy and clean energy story. SBE Inc. in Barre produces their “Power Ring Film Capacitors” improving efficiency and performance of renewable energy technologies and saving customers 30 to 40 percent.
Vermont has a story to tell. From fuel dealers to renewable energy developers, to farmers, manufacturers and ski areas, businesses in our state are innovating with new products and ideas that reduce our carbon emissions and creatively use and reuse the earth’s limited resources. VCRD is sharing that story and has formed the Vermont Climate Economy Partnership to advance initiatives that will boost and seed business development in the climate economy arena. Visit www.vtrural.org to read about Vermont’s Climate Innovators and join the Partnership.
