Climate & Energy

Old vehicle emissions: Fix them, don’t exempt them

The Transportation bill being debated in the VT legislature creates a program to help Vermonters who are low income repair cars’ emissions control systems, keeping pollution out of our air. Unfortunately, it also lets cars that fail emissions tests off the hook as long as they’re 15 years old or older, allowing them to pollute …

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Students Rally for Climate Action at State House

Hundreds of students from across Vermont gathered on the State House lawn on Wednesday for the fourth annual Rally For The Planet, organized by the Vermont Youth Lobby. This year’s event offered a rousing call to action, as Vermonters of all ages came together to demand meaningful action on climate change from state leaders. The …

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No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure VT: What You Need to Know Before Tuesday’s Hearing

OVERVIEW The House Energy and Technology Committee is holding a public hearing on April 23rd from 4:15pm – 7pm in Room 11 of the State House in Montpelier on the future of fossil fuel infrastructure in the state. Several bills have been introduced this year aimed at limiting the growth of fossil fuel infrastructure in …

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EV Incentive Program Moves to Senate

The electric vehicle incentive program made it into the budget and out of the House late last month, with Representatives allocating $1.5 million to the program. This is a far cry from the $4.5 million VPIRG and our allies have advocated for this session. As it moves on for consideration in the Senate, we will …

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VT House Votes to Boost Low-Income Weatherization Funding

In a win for climate action, H.439, a bill to increase the funding of weatherization efforts in Vermont, passed the House and now moves onto the Senate. The bill increases the fuels tax by 2 cents a gallon, which will bring in an additional $4.5 million in revenue for weatherization projects for low income households. …

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Town Meeting Day 2019 Wrap Up

Last week on Town Meeting Day, Vermonters across the state voted on important local issues, weighing in on banning plastic bags, electing local leaders (Lincoln the Goat was just sworn in as Fair Haven’s new ‘pet mayor’), and addressing climate change, among other things. VPIRG played a role in supporting many of these issues, and …

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Montpelier: Vote YES on the Energy Efficiency Charter Change!

This coming Tuesday, March 5th, is Town Meeting Day in Vermont, when voters will head to their local polling places and weigh in on important local matters. In Montpelier, that will include a measure aimed at improving Montpelier’s energy efficiency. It’s called the energy efficiency charter change, and it would allow the City Council to …

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Speak Up for Climate Action! Attend a Public Hearing in your area Monday, February 25th

Climate change is the major issue of our time. It will not be solved by one all-encompassing policy, but rather by a great many efforts that take on the issue from every angle. This year, we’re fighting to make sure addressing climate change is a priority in Vermont’s state budget. But we need you to …

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VPIRG Joins Legislators, Allies to Support Banning New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure in VT

In a State House press event Wednesday, VPIRG joined with legislators, 350VT, the Youth Lobby and concerned citizens to roll out legislation aimed at banning the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure in Vermont. Among the elected officials taking a stand for climate justice and against fossil fuels were Representatives Mari Cordes and Mary Sullivan. …

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Volkswagen Settlement Funds: The Case for Electrification

Last week, VPIRG spoke to members of the Climate Solutions Caucus in the statehouse to outline the various pieces of the Volkswagen Settlements. Our Clean Energy Advocate, Kanika Gandhi, presented the group with a memo (see below) and described the state and federal level settlement outcomes. The caucus is pushing for all funding, both the …

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