Vermont Electric Cooperative, the state’s largest member-owned electric utility, has pledged to move to a 100% carbon-free power supply by 2023.
The Johnson-based utility serves about 32,000 members in 75 communities in northern Vermont, from Essex and Grand Isle to Newport and Derby.
Vermont Electric Cooperative said the carbon-free decision was made by the board of directors to reflect customer demand for clean energy and to meet state goals to fight climate change.
“By going carbon-free, VEC is setting the foundation for a clean energy future,” Rebecca Towne, the co-op’s CEO, said in a statement. “As our members choose to transition their homes and businesses to electricity, they will be part of a more climate-friendly energy system overall.”
Non-carbon-emitting sources such as wind, solar, hydro and nuclear already supply about three-quarters of the utility’s power, according to the statement. Natural gas and other fossil fuels make up the rest.
The utility said it will make the transition by prioritizing carbon-free energy in new contracts. As contracts end with producers using fossil fuels, the co-op will seek out generating facilities with carbon-free sources.
That could include hydro facilities along the Connecticut River, land-based and offshore wind, or “new solar in the right place,” said Craig Kieny, manager of power planning.
Vermont Electric Cooperative also pledged to have a 100% renewable power supply by 2030 — though nuclear energy is considered carbon-free, it is not considered renewable because of the rare type of uranium most plants use.
“We are moving quickly to reduce our impact on climate change, and doing it in a cost-effective manner,” said Rich Goggin, board president of Vermont Electric Cooperative. “Vermont has consistently been a leader in the move toward clean energy, and VEC is stepping up even more.”
Vermont’s goal to obtain 90% of its energy needs from renewable sources is one of the most ambitious in the country. To get there, transportation and thermal will have to be shifted onto a green grid.
Transportation and electricity are the state’s two largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, account for about 63% of electricity production nationwide.
Carbon fees tacked onto buildings that use fossil-fuel heating systems — like those passed in Burlington this March — get at one side of the issue. Utility companies must also procure enough green energy to keep up with demand as more vehicles and heating systems are moved to the electric grid.
“I am excited for our members that, as they make choices going forward around heating and transportation, add a heat pump or an electric vehicle, they will know that their power supply from VEC will be 100% carbon-free,” Towne said in a video announcement.
Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan also includes a goal to have at least 50,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2025, but some officials within the Public Utility Commission have expressed doubt over whether that target can be met.
Only 3,971 electric vehicles were registered in Vermont as of July 2020, despite state incentives designed to encourage residents to buy or lease plug-in electric vehicles.
A 2019 report cited a lack of public charging stations among the chief roadblocks. Gov. Phil Scott announced 11 new plug-in electric vehicle stations in February, and Vermont already has the largest number of charging stations per capita in the country (114 per 100,000 people).
All of Vermont’s utilities are required to get at least 75% of their energy from renewable sources by 2032, but some utility companies are well ahead of the curve.
Burlington Electric Department went 100% renewable in 2014, making the city the first in the country to run its electric grid entirely off renewable sources. Washington Electric Cooperative and Swanton Electric have also reached the 100% mark.
Green Mountain Power, the state’s largest electric utility, has set lofty renewable energy goals of its own. The utility, which serves more than 75% of Vermont, plans to go 100% renewable by 2030.
