Earlier today, the Vermont Senate voted to pass H.289 sending the bill to Governor Scott for his signature. This historic bill makes Vermont just the second state in the nation to mandate 100% renewable energy.
Those of us who are concerned about the existential threat that climate change poses owe a big thank you to Senate Pro Tem Phil Baruth, Senate Natural Resources Chair Chris Bray, and Vice Chair Anne Watson for their leadership in getting this bill through the Senate. They consistently fought back against the fake narrative that a renewable energy future is too expensive and that the status quo of relying on fossil fuels is acceptable
Highlights of H.289 include:
- GHG reduction equivalent to taking up to 240,000 cars off the road by 2035
- Providing $400 million in greenhouse gas reduction benefits and $51 million in health benefits from reduced pollutants
- More than quadrupling the amount of new renewables used by Vermonters ensuring that as we convert to EVs and cold climate heat pumps, more power comes from renewables and less from oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels
- Doubling the amount of power we produce in Vermont- we are currently 48th in the nation in share of our energy we produce in state which means we export the vast majority of the environmental consequences of energy production to others.
- Reducing our dependence on New England’s 64 oil & gas fossil fuel plants larger than 50 MW- none of which are located in Vermont!
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- 65% are located in communities with a higher than average share of people of color
- 60% in communities with a higher than average share of low-income residents
- 89% in communities with a higher than average share of kids under 5
- 44% are located in communities where all of these are true
You can listen to the Senate debate here starting at the 4:01 minute mark.
For more information on H.289 and reforming the Renewable Energy Standard, contact Peter Sterling at peter@revermont.org.