Editor’s note: This commentary is by Sandra Levine, a senior attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation in Montpelier.
[W]hen it comes to tackling climate change, Vermonters are overachievers. We are fighters with a history of punching above our weight. When we encounter a problem, we often see it as an opportunity and without fanfare, just take the action needed to correct it.
These efforts pay off. For decades Vermont has been a leader on energy efficiency. We developed Efficiency Vermont, the first statewide energy efficiency utility to move us beyond the high cost of building expensive and polluting new power plants. And these efforts keep expanding. Moving beyond just electric energy efficiency, Vermonters now have an array of opportunities to install solar to meet electricity needs. Utilities, including the Green Mountain Power “eHome” program, now make both solar and heat pumps available to customers. And the new “Zero Energy Now” program, developed by Vermont’s building performance professionals, provides comprehensive energy solutions. Homeowners can work with one contractor to slash their fossil fuel use. By combining efficiency upgrades, renewable energy and favorable financing, Vermonters’ energy savings pay for the improvements, lowering bills and cutting pollution.
Vermont makes similar strides in transitioning our larger energy supplies. Revising the recent energy siting bill is one example of making sure our laws are clear and don’t stop the progress we are making. For decades, Vermont Yankee was Vermont’s largest power generator. When Vermont Yankee sprang leaks and proved to be an untrustworthy, antiquated and polluting liability, Vermont jumped into action. Looking at the electricity generated in Vermont now, it is almost entirely renewable energy. That’s impressive. No other state comes close to Vermont on that measure. To be sure, Vermont imports a lot of electricity. Yet Vermont’s reliance on imported hydropower from Canada allowed Vermont to successfully avoid adding new fossil fuel generation, as our dependence on nuclear power wanes. As with energy efficiency, Vermont is showing how to effectively transition away from polluting sources like coal and nuclear.
Advancing a carbon pollution tax will bolster our efforts to move further away from polluting fossil fuels, while providing opportunities for more Vermonters to participate in the transformation to cleaner energy.
Recent independent reports highlight the breadth of these successes. Gov. Shumlin recently reported that one in 17 workers in Vermont are employed in clean energy. On clean jobs, Vermont leads the nation. These are jobs that advance innovation. They build on our strengths, while strengthening our economy. This leaves us better prepared not only to adapt to a changing economy, but better equipped to tackle climate change as well.
The recent “Clean Tech Leadership 2016” report by a prominent West Coast energy consulting firm, Clean Edge Inc., reviewed the status of clean tech in the United States. Vermont scored high across the board. While California continues to lead on many fronts, small Vermont, with a population just 1/60th of California, demonstrated many successes. Based on 70 indicators, Vermont rose from No. 15 in 2013 to No. 3 in 2016. The report describes closing Vermont Yankee, and robust deployment of new clean energy as helping to show the “small but telling example of the nation’s slow but steady energy transition away from coal and nuclear power.”
Vermont scored high marks on green buildings and transportation as well. These marks show the success of Vermont’s comprehensive approaches. On a per capita basis, Vermont leads the nation in electric vehicle charging stations, making Vermont better prepared for future transportation that will rely less on fossil fuels. For green buildings, Vermont continues to lead with more green buildings per capita than any other state.
Recognition of Vermont’s advances on clean energy provide a good model for future work and for other states. Vermont’s overachievement and commitment to clean energy is both refreshing and realistic. Going forward, Vermont can continue to build on these successes. Advancing a carbon pollution tax will bolster our efforts to move further away from polluting fossil fuels, while providing opportunities for more Vermonters to participate in the transformation to cleaner energy. Vermont’s continued responsible leadership and commitment to clean energy shows that sowing common sense solutions reaps valuable rewards.
