VPIRG is talking to Vermonters from every corner of the state this summer to help make a clean, affordable heating future a reality. Keeping our homes comfortable in the winter costs over a billion dollars a year and nearly $800 million of that goes right out of the state to pay for dirty fossil fuels. Making Vermont’s comfortable, affordable heating future a reality wouldn’t only save money – it’s what’s right for our economy and the environment.
Late in the evening on Thursday April 26th the Senate debated and ultimately defeated one of the most anti-environmental pieces of legislation that’s been proposed all year. Despite strong evidence that an overwhelming majority of Vermonters support clean energy development, and wind power as a vital piece, a group of Senators tried to insert a …
On March 28, 2012, over 250 local activists, community members, and legislators filled the ballroom at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier to join a discussion on the implications of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” for natural gas in Vermont. VPIRG co-hosted a public forum alongside VNRC, and 350.org bringing International, and local experts to tell their …
The Clean Energy Bill, H.468, just passed out of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee. If enacted, it would require Vermont utilities to provide Vermonters with 35% renewable energy by 2032, and guarantee that at least 100 MW of that energy would come from local, community scale resources through an expansion of Vermont’s groundbreaking …
Clean Energy Bill passes Senate Natural Resources Read More »
In 2010, Vermont legislators voted to shutter a nuclear power plant, putting the state at odds with the federal government and the plant’s owner—the Louisiana-based Entergy Corporation. Public Meltdown explores the debate that roiled Vermont, including the lawsuits and court action that followed.
Many of the groups who have led the massive grassroots, policy and legal effort to retire Vermont Yankee over the years gathered at the State House this morning to make clear that they aren’t going away or giving in on this 40th anniversary of the plant’s launch. March 21st is the day that was to …
Groups Mark 40th Anniversary with Renewed Commitment to Retire VY Read More »
Late Friday, the Clean Energy Bill (H.468) passed out of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, and it will be voted on by the full House of Representatives on Tuesday. Advocating for this bill has been a wild ride. Multiple representatives have told me it’s been one of the toughest bills they’ve ever worked …
An Update from VPIRG Director, Paul Burns, on Friday, March 16 As you know, nearly two months ago Judge Garvan Murtha handed Vermonters a significant defeat when he ruled that state legislators had exceeded their authority to regulate the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. In light of this decision and as we approach the date that …
When Judge Garvan Murtha ruled against Vermont a month ago in Entergy’s lawsuit against the state, he made very clear that the state still has authority over the plant, through Vermont’s Public Service Board. On Friday, the Public Service Board, which oversees all electric generation in the state, started to exercise that authority.
By passing PACE, your municipality agrees to let homeowners pay back investments on energy renovations to their homes over time through a separate assessment on their property tax bill. So if your town adopts PACE, and you want to make your home more efficient or install solar panels (for example), you’ll be able to pay for them by putting a little extra every month on your property tax bill, rather than going through the hassle of getting a personal or home equity loan. In many cases, your energy savings every month will more than cover your monthly payment. What’s more, if you ever sell your home, the cost of the energy upgrades stay with the house, so you can’t get stuck paying for someone else’s savings.
