Countering a group of anti-wind activists gathered at the State House today, Vermont’s largest environmental and consumer advocacy group made clear that responsible development of our state’s renewable wind resources, both large and small, is an essential part of our clean energy future.
In the coming weeks, the legislature is considering taking big steps to realize Vermont’s clean energy future:
On Monday, Vermonters gathered outside the State House in Montpelier to thank Governor Shumlin and other state leaders for moving Vermont toward a clean energy future and for their support for retiring Vermont Yankee on schedule.
On Tuesday, the Vermont House of Representatives passed H.475, a VPIRG-backed bill that will streamline the process for Vermonters choosing to power their homes and businesses with solar and other renewable energy sources. This bill strengthens Vermont’s already nation leading renewables legislation, and builds on work VPIRG and our partners did in 2011.
U.S. District Court Judge Garvan Murtha just released his ruling in Entergy Louisiana’s lawsuit against the state of Vermont regarding Vermont Yankee. In a blow to clean energy and the public interest, Murtha sided with Entergy in striking down key sections of Vermont law.
VPIRG is working to make Vermont the first state in the nation to ban the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing. Hydrofracking, or fracking as the practice is also known, can be extremely hazardous to the environment and a danger to public health for a number of reasons. This issue has recieved extensive media attention recently due to these serious concerns.
Our advocates are following these bills and we’ll keep you posted on opportunities to take action. Find the bill language by clicking the title.
We continue to work toward building a clean, renewable, reliable energy future for our state. VPIRG is working to pass a bill ensuring that a greater portion of your electricity comes from renewable sources. And, with 50% of Vermont’s electricity already coming from clean energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower, our goal, of an additional 30% more by 2025, is well within our reach.
The Shumlin administration released the first draft of their Comprehensive Energy Plan in September and entered a rigorous comment period where over 6,000 Vermonters, including groups like VPIRG, weighed in on the plan.
After many months of work and a tremendous amount of public input, the state created a comprehensive energy plan calling for 90% of our energy needs (electricity, heating and transportation) to be met with renewable resources by 2050. Read the plan here!
