At the close of the 2023 legislative session, the Vermont Legislature overrode Governor Scott’s veto of the Affordable Heat Act (S.5), capping a 2 year effort with a victory for Vermonters and the climate. S.5 requires the Public Utility Commission to design a program to require fossil fuel importers to offer Vermonters incentives and up-front …
Polling Shows Vermonters Overwhelmingly Support Affordable Heat Read More »
A coalition of business, environmental, and equity-focused organizations called on the Vermont Legislature to override Governor Phil Scott’s veto of S.5, the Affordable Heat Act. This veto comes right on the heels of the Scott Administration’s release of the latest Vermont Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Forecast. This report projects Vermont will miss its legally …
In another major win for climate action, the Vermont Senate advanced S.5, the Affordable Heat Act, on a 19-10 vote. The bill will now head to the House of Representatives. In the face of unparalleled pressure from the deep-pocketed fossil fuel industry – which has ramped its opposition to the bill with over $35,000 in a …
Affordable Heat Act Advances Through Vermont Senate, Moves to House of Representatives Read More »
On Monday, October 4th, 2021 VPIRG and other organizations in the #ActOnClimateVT coalition delivered a letter to the Vermont Climate Council reflecting the principles that it sees as vital to the success of the Council’s Climate Action Plan. As the December deadline for the Vermont Climate Action Plan fast approaches, it is more critical than …
Recently, VPIRG’s own Ben Edgerly Walsh moderated the latest entry in the Climate Action Works webinar series, What You Need to Know About the Climate Action Plan. Ben was joined by officially appointed Vermont Climate Council members, who shared the latest updates about the work being done in each of the subcommittees to develop the …
Webinar: What You Need to Know About the Climate Action Plan Read More »
The December deadline for the Vermont Climate Action Plan is fast approaching, and the Vermont Climate Council wants your input! VPIRG members came out in force this past week to attend the Council’s in-person hearings at state parks across Vermont. If you were able to attend in person, thank you for making your voice heard! …
The Vermont legislature wrapped up its 2021 session Friday, and it was one for the history books. One big winner? Action on the climate crisis. We’ll be sharing a full recap of the legislative session soon, but first we wanted to share some highlights from the state budget. In the middle of a pandemic unlike …
The Vermont legislature went big on climate action. Here are the details. Read More »
Right now, the Vermont State Senate is considering how to invest the over $1 billion in federal stimulus funds the American Rescue Plan is delivering to Vermont. We need to make sure that they understand Vermonters see climate action investments as critical to our state’s ability to build back from the COVID-19 crisis in a …
Climate Investment is Critical – Let Your Senator Know! Read More »
Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in September, 2020, effectively requires that Vermont hit its climate pollution reduction targets. To do so, it established the Vermont Climate Council, which will work to create comprehensive and equitable solutions to both reduce our carbon footprint and ensure our communities are prepared for existing and potential consequences of …
Update: You can find our take on Gov Scott’s veto below. As the House was preparing for its ultimately successful override vote on Thursday, however, the chair and vice chair of House Energy, Reps Tim Briglin (D-Norwich) and Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) spoke eloquently and in detail as to why, in their view, the Governor was …
Our Thoughts on Gov Scott’s Veto of The Solutions Act Read More »
