Waiting for the Axe

It's been almost a month since the legisalture took a bold step forward on energy and global warming. After months of work, thousands of calls, hundreds of emails, 71 Step It Up events and innumerable local conversations, the Vermont legislature passed H.520 a comprehensive global warming bill. (In case you missed it, read our play-by-play posts from the floor)

The final bill has many parts, but accomplishes three main goals:

1. Invests in renewable energy by requiring Vermont utilities to supply 25% of our power from clean local sources by 2012;
2. Makes it easier for businesses and individuals to invest in small renewable energy projects;
3. Improves efficiency by tightening building codes and expanding the mandate and funding of Efficiency Vermont so they can help us use less heating oil as well as electricity.

All this is paid for by making Vermont Yankee pay the same property tax rate as wind farms will pay (VYcurrently pays less than 1/3rd as much).

And that’s where the controversy lies: Governor Douglas is opposed to the bill because it taxes Yankee. His opposition, combined with a massive PR and lobbying campaign by Vermont Yankee (remember the ad wars?) made the fight to pass the bill though our House a huge challenge. In the end we got 85 representatives to vote in favor.

But now the Governor is about to veto the bill. It’s outrageous, but he’s sticking up for the profit margins of Entergy instead of for a bill that will make Vermont more affordable, create jobs, and fight global warming.

But there’s good news: the legislature will reconvene on July 11th to override the governor’s veto. (click here to learn more) We have this one chance to get 2/3 of our legislature to do the right thing. If we win, Vermont will be the first state in the nation to stand up to the oil industry, the nuclear industry, and the big utilities and get serious about an economy driven by renewable and energy independence.