October 8, 2001—Vermont Governor Howard Dean recently unveiled an extensive, long-term energy plan for Vermont that blends highly efficient, small-scale power generation, the increased use of renewable energy sources, and stronger conservation efforts.
The plan’s main goals are to ensure enough energy to meet anticipated increases in demand, and to avoid reliance on fossil-fuel power plants and large transmission projects in an increasingly complex and uncertain national wholesale energy market.
Among the governor’s proposals are:
- Meeting the increase in electric energy demand through energy efficiency and renewables;
- Developing “green pricing” for renewable energy;
- Appropriating $750,000 of Oil Overcharge funds to subsidize the use of renewable energy technologies; and
- Increasing efforts by Efficiency Vermont to help customers reduce energy consumption.
“This plan lays out a path toward a future in which our economy is stronger, our electric energy system is more diversified and sustainable, customers are better off, our energy generation and use causes less environmental harm, and we have more real choices about the way we meet our energy needs,” the governor said.
For more information, contact the governor’s office at 802/828-2321.
