CLIMATE & CLEAN ENERGY
Defend Vermont’s Climate Progress
In recent years, Vermont has passed the Global Warming Solutions Act, updated our Renewable Energy Standard to reach 100% renewable power and double the amount of new renewables that will be built in Vermont, and enacted the landmark Climate Superfund Act to finally hold Big Oil financially accountable for the damage they’ve caused.
In 2026, we expect these hard-won victories to come under fire. All three of these pieces of legislation have seen bills introduced that would weaken, gut, or outright repeal them. We cannot afford to have Vermont join the Trump administration in gutting the progress we’ve made on climate – Vermonters will not allow it. Last year, on the two occasions opponents of climate action attempted to move legislation like this, VPIRG members and our allies generated over 600 phone calls to the State House in a 24-hour period – and those attempts failed. We’ll do that as many times as we need to hold the line.
Advance Portable, Plug-In Solar, and Protect Residential Solar
Clean, local solar energy is essential for Vermont’s transition to clean energy. However, the Trump administration has successfully eliminated the residential solar tax credit – first created under President George W. Bush and expanded on a bipartisan basis under four successive presidents – creating a massive hurdle for Vermont families looking to lower their bills and be part of the clean energy transition. In practical terms, the cost of a residential solar system went up 30% between December 2025 and January 2026.
To keep Vermont’s solar industry from stalling, we are advocating for a two-year pause on reductions in compensation to new solar systems under Vermont’s net metering law. This “bridge” will help offset the loss of federal support, keep solar within reach for everyday Vermonters, and give the industry time to find its footing before net metering rates are considered again in 2028.
Additionally, we are working to make Vermont the second state in the nation (after Utah) to enable portable, affordable, plug-in solar. Currently, many Vermonters – especially renters – are effectively locked out of the solar transition, exacerbating existing inequalities. A new generation of simple, small-scale solar systems that complement currently-available, traditional rooftop and backyard arrays has the potential to make clean energy accessible to many of those Vermonters.
These portable or “plug-in” solar systems are small – one to a few solar panels – and can fit many places larger systems cannot (on your balcony, patio, against a porch or fence). They plug right into an exterior wall outlet and can be set up the same day you bring one home. These systems are already common in parts of Europe, and all we need to do to enable them is pass legislation cutting red tape. No permits, fees, or wait times. Let’s get out of the way and let people do this.
Appliance Efficiency Standards
One of the most effective ways to save Vermonters money on their energy bills and reduce emissions is through common-sense appliance efficiency standards. These standards set a minimum efficiency level for the most common types of appliances, and have saved Americans more than a trillion dollars in energy spending since their creation several decades ago. Unfortunately, the Trump administration is actively working to roll back many of these standards, which would allow inefficient, energy-wasting appliances into the market, costing consumers money and driving up climate pollution.
VPIRG is leading the charge to adopt all current federal appliance efficiency standards into Vermont state rule. We took this exact approach during the first Trump term in 2017, and now we need to incorporate the updated standards enacted under the Biden Administration. By codifying these standards at the state level, we can ensure that even if federal protections are gutted, Vermont consumers remain protected from “energy hogs” that drive up utility bills and increase pollution. If the federal government won’t lead on efficiency, Vermont will.
DEMOCRACY
Corporate Power Reset
When the US Supreme Court issued its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in January of 2010, it dismantled a century of campaign finance regulations and turned massive power over to corporations to influence elections. The Court held generally that the government can’t restrict independent political expenditures by corporations. This is the “corporations are people too” argument. But corporations are NOT people. In fact, only the states, as creators of corporations, have the authority to define the powers of the corporations they charter. So, VPIRG is now backing legislation called “Corporate Power Reset,” which would modify corporate charters to exclude the power to engage in political spending. If a corporation lacks the capacity to spend money on politics—much like it lacks the capacity to vote or run for office—then it can have no First Amendment right to influence elections. Corporate Power Reset bills have been filed in both the Senate and House.
Voting Rights Act
As one of our nation’s most important civil rights laws, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, is being dismantled at the federal level, we are working with coalition partners and legislative champions here at home to protect the rights of traditionally underrepresented citizens by passing a Vermont Voting Rights Act.
Lobbying Advertisement Disclosure Loophole
We’re also pressing to close a lobbying disclosure loophole in current law that organizations like the Koch Network’s Americans for Prosperity exploit. AFP supports the fossil fuel industry and opposes laws that we’ve helped to pass that support clean energy and climate action (among other things). They’ve been spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising aimed at taking down legislators who voted for climate action, but by exploiting a loophole in state law, they are avoiding timely and complete disclosure to the state. We need to make political spending transparent by closing the loophole.
Ranked Choice Voting
Finally, we know there’s already strong interest in the 2028 presidential election. The presidential primaries are likely wide-open, and this is a time when people should be free to vote for their favorite candidate without fear that casting such a vote could give some advantage to their least favorite candidate. Putting Ranked Choice Voting in place for the 2028 presidential primary would give voters the freedom to choose who they want and rank the candidates in order of preference.
FIGHTING AUTHORITARIANISM
Eyes on I.C.E.
We’ve seen how callous and cruel the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts have been across the country. We’ve felt that alarm in our own communities.
That’s why this legislative session, we are focused on five key policy issues to ensure Vermont is doing all it can to protect the rights of its residents and our neighbors. Our goals are to:
1. Strengthen protections for sensitive community spaces across Vermont to include schools, healthcare facilities, and other essential public spaces.
2. Guarantee legal representation for people detained in Vermont. This includes providing access to an attorney for people held in civil immigration detention, preventing people from facing deportation proceedings without legal guidance, and ensuring due process in complex legal proceedings.
3. Improve detention conditions to guarantee language access services, reliable communication with family and attorneys, and placing restrictions on exploitative commissary pricing.
4. Require law enforcement officers to clearly identify themselves during enforcement actions. This includes banning officers from wearing masks outside of extreme circumstances (weather, health hazards, undercover operations, etc.)
5. Introduce Smarter Stops to reduce over-policing and racial disparities in traffic enforcement by prohibiting traffic stops for minor equipment violations, and ending consent-based searches without probable cause.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Prohibit the Toxic Herbicide Paraquat.
Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide that has been linked to Parkinson’s disease and other serious health harms. While more than 70 countries have banned its use, paraquat continues to put U.S. farmers, communities, and ecosystems at risk. We believe the time has come to end the use of this dangerous chemical to better protect public health, the environment, and our food system. That’s why VPIRG is working closely with the Michael J. Fox Foundation and other allies to educate policymakers and the public about the need to end the use of paraquat in Vermont.
Reduce the Quantity & Toxicity of Plastic Pollution
Nearly everyone agrees that there is too much plastic in our lives and in our environment. Even worse is how toxic this plastic is, how little of it is recycled, and how the industry continues to use deceptive marketing to profit at the expense of our environment and our health. With plastic production expected to triple by 2060, this problem will only worsen unless we take action.
That’s why VPIRG is prioritizing policies to reduce the quantity and toxicity of plastics in Vermont. We’re supporting legislation sponsored by Sen. Anne Watson, Chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, which would do the following (click to reveal):
Ban “Chemical Recycling”
So-called “chemical recycling” facilities are a false solution to the plastics problem being pushed by industry. They are largely ineffective and environmentally hazardous. They have no place in Vermont.
Eliminate Toxic DEHP in IV Bags and Tubing
DEHP, a toxic phthalate, is now used in medical supplies such as IV bags and tubing. It’s linked to negative health effects and increased drug resistance – meaning it could make life saving medicine less effective for the people that need it most. Vermont can join two other states that have already taken action.
Prohibit Microplastics in Certain Consumer Products
As evidence grows about the dangers of microplastics and their detrimental impact on human health and the environment, we want to stop the problem at its source. VPIRG supports banning the intentional addition of microplastics in non-rinse off personal care products and other consumer goods.
Update Vermont’s Bottle Bill
After almost 54 years, it’s time to update the Bottle Bill. Legislation is being considered in the House that would make the program more convenient for consumers, easier on mom-and-pop retailers, and improve the overall recycling process.
Safe and Healthy Food
This year, VPIRG will continue to pursue initiatives that make our food safer and healthier – including a ban on synthetic dyes in schools and toxic food additives from all foods.
Studies show that children are most at risk for adverse neurological impacts associated with consuming synthetic food dyes, especially those at risk for ADHD. Junk foods containing these dyes are commonly marketed towards children and are sometimes sold or provided to kids in schools. The most high-risk dyes should be banned from food and beverages provided in Vermont schools.
There is a strong global precedent for banning toxic food additives like Brominated Vegetable Oil, Propylparaben, and Potassium Bromate, as many countries have already taken action to protect the public from their harmful effects. Each of these chemicals already has safer, widely available alternatives. By banning these dangerous additives in Vermont, as California has already done, we can prioritize public health and safety.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
Comprehensive Consumer Data Privacy Protections
Every day, as consumers, our personal information is being harvested, packaged, used and sold, often in ways that are unknown to us. This overcollection and misuse of our data can have direct negative impacts on our lives: ranging from the inconvenient (e.g. being used for spam calls and unwanted advertisements) to the harmful (e.g. being used for scams and adverse financial decisions) to the downright dangerous (e.g. being exposed in ways that can lead to stalking and harassment).
VPIRG has advocated for broad protections that would treat consumer data privacy as a default and give consumers the power to control how and with whom their data is shared. In 2024, we helped pass what would have been the strongest consumer data privacy law in the nation, but that bill was ultimately vetoed by the governor, and an override attempt fell short in the Senate. We are advocating for similar legislation this biennium—a strong consumer data privacy bill that includes: a meaningful data minimization standard that prevents companies from collecting more data than is necessary and using it for irrelevant purposes; a ban on the selling of all sensitive data such as location data, health information, and information about minors; and strong enforcement that ensure consumers can hold the worst data privacy violators directly accountable in court.
Reining in Data Brokers
Vermont was the first state in the nation to establish a registry for data brokers—third-party companies (i.e. ones that consumers do not interact with directly) that collect, buy, and sell our personal information. VPIRG will be supporting legislation that will bolster Vermont’s data broker law by requiring these companies to comply with stricter data breach notification requirements, certify that the information they sell will be used for legitimate purposes, and, perhaps most importantly, allow consumers to delete their information from all registered data brokers via a simple one-step process.
Right-to-Repair
It used to be that most consumer goods and business products were easily repaired with parts that were widely available. But as manufacturers realized there was more money to be made in restricting access to fixes – either by forcing consumers to rely exclusively on the manufacturer for repairs or to buy a new product entirely—more and more companies have thrown up legal, digital and physical barriers that prevent consumers from doing their own repairs or using independent repair shops.
VPIRG has been a staunch supporter of the fair repair movement – that is, the effort to require manufacturers to provide consumers and independent repair shops access to all of the parts, tools, and documentation necessary to fix the products we own.
This biennium, we’re advocating once again for legislation that would provide this “Right-to-Repair” for a wide range of consumer products as several other states have already done.
We’re also supporting legislation that would establish a specific right-to-repair for medical devices—allowing health care providers to fix their own equipment with the aim of lowering costs, improving health care resilience, and reducing e-waste.
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
Unlock Discounts on Prescription Drugs for Vermonters
VPIRG supports the Treasurer Mike Pieciak’s plan to have Vermont join ArrayRX – a multi-state collaborative designed to help people access more affordable prescription medications. Participation requires enabling legislation, which has been introduced by both the House and Senate Health Care committees.
Once enrolled, all Vermonters will be able to easily access an ArrayRX Discount Card that can save up to 20% on brand-name medications and up to 80% on generics.
At a time when so many Vermonters are struggling with skyrocketing health care costs, joining this program is a practical and immediate way to offer some cost savings.