It’s been another busy week at the Vermont State House as the legislature gets closer to the mid-March crossover date–the halfway point of the session when bills pass from the chamber in which they were introduced to the opposite chamber. With this deadline quickly approaching, things are heating up.
This week, House Republican Minority Leader Patricia McCoy released H. 289, a bill to roll back essential provisions in the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Renewable Energy Standard. This bill is an attack on the fundamental pillars of Vermont’s climate and clean energy policy, once again delaying necessary action to meet cost-saving, science-based pollution reduction targets and likely taking a sledgehammer to Vermont’s solar industry by dismantling non-net-metered solar across the state. It’s a big deal.
To make matters worse, we have learned of a likely play next week by Senate Republicans to bypass the committee process and move their version of this bill to an immediate vote. See this week’s call to action below to learn how you can help stop this from happening.
Today’s episode
On today’s episode, we talk with Representative Scott Campbell (D-St Johnsbury) – the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee’s new Vice Chair – about all that’s swirling and his committee’s efforts to get better data about the economic impacts of Vermont’s energy policies.
Call to Action
The last few weeks have been defined by attack after attack on climate at the federal level, and now we’re beginning to see that same anti-climate agenda take shape in Vermont. With likely efforts next week to gut both the Global Warming Solutions Act and Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard, we need your help. Please email your State Senator and let them know that you do not support rolling back much-needed climate policy and that you want them to ensure Vermont continues to enjoy the environmental and economic benefits of these policies.
Thank you for ALL you do!
Johanna Miller & Dan Fingas
Vermont Natural Resources Council
Vermont Conservation Voters