Climate

New Campaign Aims To “Make Big Oil Pay” For Climate Damage in Vermont

Environmental leaders launched a new campaign today to hold the largest corporate climate polluters accountable for the tremendous damage their product has caused in Vermont. The Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) led the effort – called “Make Big Oil Pay” – in a campaign kick-off event just outside City Hall in Burlington. The event …

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Vermont Enacts Groundbreaking Law to Help Highest-Need Drivers Switch to EVs, Save on Fuel Costs

Today, Vermont’s Governor signed into law S.137, a bill that gives municipal utility Burlington Electric Department the power to create new incentives to help high-volume gasoline users switch to electric vehicles. This is the first law in the country designed specifically to help low- and moderate-income drivers using extreme amounts of gasoline – more than …

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2023 Legislative Recap

The 2023 Vermont legislative session has come to a close, marking the halfway point of the 2023-2024 biennium. The VPIRG team secured a number of significant legislative victories – shepherding some landmark public interest policies into law, while making important progress on other bills that will need to brought across the finish line in 2024. …

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Business, Environmental, and Social Equity Organizations Call on Legislature to Override Gubernatorial Veto of Affordable Heat Act 

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 …

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Affordable Heat Act Passes the Vermont House of Representatives on 98-44 Vote 

In a significant step towards climate action, the Vermont House of Representatives passed S.5, the Affordable Heat Act, on a 98-46 roll call vote on second reading and, on final reading, they advanced the bill back to the Senate. This is important and necessary progress. Legislators on the House Committee on Environment and Energy worked …

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2023 Mid Session Legislative Update

We are officially halfway through the 2023 legislative session, with both legislative and money crossover dates in the rear-view mirror. Our VPIRG team has been hard at work over the past few months pushing for common sense policies, from Bottle Bill modernization to ranked choice voting, and we’ve made great progress, thanks in large part …

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On To The House: Next Steps For S.5, The Affordable Heat Act

Just before the Vermont Legislature left for Town Meeting Week break, the Senate passed the Affordable Heat Act (S.5) on a strong 19-10 vote. This is a significant win for Vermonters. In the face of a well-financed fossil fuel industry ad blitz, sowing fear and misinformation, the Senate stood up and advanced this critical climate …

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Affordable Heat Act Advances Through Vermont Senate, Moves to House of Representatives 

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 …

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Burlington, Vote YES on 2! 

On Town Meeting Day, March 7, 2023, Burlington voters will decide whether to implement a measure encouraging the usage of renewable energy heating systems in newly constructed buildings. The passage of this measure – question 2 – would have Burlington join cities across the Northeast that have utilized similar measures cut carbon pollution and provide …

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Affordable Heat Act Advances Unanimously Through Vermont Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee

Today, in a huge victory for climate action and addressing Vermont’s second largest source of climate pollution – the thermal heating sector – the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee voted 5-0 to advance the Affordable Heat Act (S.5). This legislation is the culmination of years of work and analysis, represents a key pillar of …

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