This commentary is by Anthony Pollina of Middlesex, a former state senator and current chair of the Vermont Progressive Party.
In Vermont, our biggest obstacle in confronting climate change may be Gov. Phil Scott, whose resistance to renewables and likely noncompliance with carbon reduction goals, as mandated by law, continues to undermine our progress.
I am calling on Scott to commit to support efforts that are good for our environment and our economy.
Under Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, as passed by the Legislature, the Scott administration is obligated to meet certain carbon emission reduction goals. If it fails to do so, it can, and will, likely face a legal challenge. That is something we can’t afford, in terms of time or money.
The way to achieve the carbon reduction goals is to reduce fossil fuels used to heat our homes and other buildings and transition to cleaner renewable sources of power. Unfortunately, Gov. Scott has never gotten behind this idea. He vetoed the original bill, has made it clear to the Vermont Climate Council that his administration has no intention of meeting the first two target dates for carbon reductions, 2025 and 2030, and was especially opposed to a provision in the new law giving citizens the right to bring a lawsuit if the administration fails to meet the goals set out in the law. Which he apparently is planning to do.
Now, you might think recent floods and erratic weather that are devastating our local economy, communities, businesses and farms would be a wakeup call, but not for Gov. Scott. Nor does the governor seem to understand that making investments in fighting climate change is an economic opportunity.
By refusing to act, Scott is not only defying the law and turning a blind eye to the environmental threats, but he is also showing his true colors when it comes to his mantra of “affordability” and local jobs for our local economy. Instead of keeping our money local, our reliance on fossil fuels drains dollars out of state. According to the Energy Action Network’s Annual Progress Report for Vermont, this amounted to nearly $2 billion in 2022 alone. This is money we spend on gas and home heating fuels that goes from Vermont checkbooks directly into the pockets of big oil.
We know that lower-income Vermonters are hit the hardest, paying a larger share of their income for energy than wealthier Vermonters, meaning these folks have the most to gain when we invest in lower-cost local power and the many good jobs that will be created along the way.
Instead, we can look forward to taxpayers being forced to pay to defend Scott’s decision to intentionally ignore carbon reduction targets as set in the law, even though the majority of taxpayers and their elected representatives disagree with the governor’s position.
Ultimately, Gov. Scott’s resistance to investing in local renewable power and his expected decision not to abide by the law is a waste of both time and money, and it shows complete disregard for the legislative process and more bad news for our planet and our economy.
