[G]ov. Phil Scott embraced energy efficiency last week, signing into law an energy-efficiency bill that over time could save Vermonters hundreds of millions of dollars.
The new statute, which originated as H.410, sets 16 separate efficiency standards for products ranging from computer monitors to commercial deep fryers and fluorescent bulbs.
It was an apparent turnaround for the governor who only last year sought an 8 percent cut in the budget of Efficiency Vermont, the program that promotes and facilitates energy efficiency in the state.
The Public Utility Commission disallowed the proposal, which would have cut $4 million from Efficiency Vermont’s $50 million budget, calling it counter to Vermonters’ financial interests.
The state’s investment in Efficiency Vermont, often referred to as the state’s energy efficiency utility, is far less than the cost of the electricity that would be required without improvements in efficiency, the commission said.
The state’s most recent Comprehensive Energy Plan, published in 2016, found that for every dollar invested in Efficiency Vermont in 2012, Vermonters got back $4.60 in economic value. A 2016 study showed Efficiency Vermont saved Vermonters $2 for every $1 invested in the program.
Asked about Scott’s support of the new efficiency standards, the governor’s spokeswoman Rebecca Kelley, said in an email:
“The Governor has supported initiatives that help increase adoption of energy efficient products — including his proposals to implement tax holidays for the purchase of electric vehicles and other energy efficient household products, as well as support for woodstove changeout programs — because of the well-established cost effectiveness and overall economic and environmental benefits of doing so.”
The largest energy savings resulting from the new law will come from a reduction in the quantity of hot water homes use.
The new standards could reduce by about a third the volume of water needed for a shower, by banning shower heads that release more than 2 gallons of water per minute, as well as faucets with a flow of more than 1.5 gallons to 1.8 gallons of water per minute.
Chris Granda, an energy-efficiency advocate with the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, helped guide H.410 through the Legislature.
“We spend a heck of a lot of money on heating water,” Granda said.
The bill contains other important provisions, environmental advocates say. One of them closes a federal loophole that in 2012 exempted some businesses requiring specialized lighting from having to adopt new energy-efficiency standards.
Improvements in the quality of LED lighting has eliminated the justification for the exemption. The old, more inefficient bulbs the businesses had been permitted to use won’t be sold in Vermont after July 2019.
Taken together the standards will add up to significant savings for Vermonters, said Ben Walsh, climate and energy program director at Vermont Public Interest Research Group.
“This is going to save Vermonters hundreds of millions of dollars, and have a big impact on our carbon pollution,” Walsh said.
The efficiency standards in the new law will reduce carbon emissions by substantially reducing the amount of electricity required for appliances and equipment.
The legislation may spur other states to take similar measures, Walsh said.
Ideally it will push the federal government into action as well, said Rep. Curt McCormack, D-Burlington.
“I know [Scott] believes in conservation of energy,” McCormack said. “By signing this, we’re providing leadership to the federal government to make this federal. Then the savings are unbelievable.”
McCormack said the same standards put into effect nationwide could save Americans $3.6 trillion by 2030. In Vermont, by the year 2025, the standards in H.410 will save Vermonters more than $17 million per year in energy costs, he said.
“I saw this issue as a real sleeper,” McCormack said. “When we buy new products and they use a lot less energy, you can thank this bill for that.”
