Welcome back to the Climate Dispatch! This week, we’re happy to be joined by Representative Chris Morrow (D-Weston), who sits on the House Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee (HEDI). Rep. Morrow discusses his interest in helping Vermonters lower energy bills, reduce pollution, and become more resilient. He gives an overview of a bill he sponsored – H. 716 – that would direct the Public Utility Commission to temporarily pause the compensation rate for new residential solar projects and eliminate the negative adjustor on behind-the-meter consumption. With the federal administration’s attacks on renewables and yesterday’s disastrous announcement to strip U.S. authority to regulate carbon pollution, state-level solutions that step in where the federal government has stepped out will be pivotal.

Today’s episode & call to action

Rep. Morrow is also a strong champion of efforts to strengthen resiliency and help communities adapt in a warming world; we know the impacts of climate change are real, costly, and they are landing on the doorsteps of too many Vermont communities.

So, this week, we highlight a great opportunity to join the Climate Action Office and the Treasurer’s Office at an open house next week on the Resilience Implementation Strategy (RIS) – Wednesday, February 18th, from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Pavilion in Montpelier. The RIS is a long-term, cross-government initiative to build Vermont’s resilience in the face of increasing climate threats. This is a great way to learn more about the RIS and the state’s plan to address the damage caused by increasingly extreme and costly climate disasters. We hope to see you there!

Dan Fingas & Johanna Miller

Vermont Conservation Voters

Vermont Natural Resources Council 

PS: Check out what VNRC and VCV have to say about the Trump Administration’s rollback of the Endangerment Finding, a bedrock finding that acknowledged that climate pollution threatens human life and well-being. What does it mean? The EPA can no longer regulate greenhouse gas emissions – and our federal government has embraced climate denial as an official policy.