Regional Planning &
Economic Development
in the Northeast Kingdom
ENERGY UPDATE June 2024
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Vermont Walk/Bike Summit 2024
June 20, 8:30am-4:30 pm – St. Johnsbury
The Vermont Walk/Bike Summit is an excellent opportunity to connect with community members, employers, planners and researchers from throughout the state for in-depth sharing on current efforts, new ideas, and networking to advance more livable communities.
This year’s Summit will include interactive demo workshops, peer exchanges, a highly-acclaimed keynote (Mirna Valerio – The Mirnavator!), and a variety of dynamic presentations and topics including advocacy and education, safe and healthy communities, economic development, and the built environment.
NEK Energy Network Meeting
June 4, 12-1:30pm (online)
Join Energy Committees and partners from around the Northeast Kingdom for the next online gathering. All are welcome. Come to meet other energized folks from across the NEK, ask questions, and share best practices. Questions? Please email Allie Webster.
From the VT Climate Council’s 2024 Report to the General Assembly:
For many consumers, adopting clean heat measures will result in savings, but incentives, particularly for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households, are necessary for those households to adopt such measures and realize the resulting savings.
If LMI households do not receive sufficient incentive support, it will be difficult to meet the GWSA [VT’s Global Warming Solutions Act] requirements.
Residential electrification can save American households $96 billion through reduced energy costs if lower-income households electrify alongside higher-income ones, according to a ACEEE report.
If policymakers do not invest in helping low- and moderate-income (LMI) households electrify and they are left behind in the energy transition, these households could face increased costs, the study finds.
Read the press release.
Home Energy Rebate Program – $58M for Vermont
June 4, 6-7:30pm (online)
The Vermont Department of Public Service is holding a virtual public meeting to discuss its upcoming application to the Department of Energy under the Home Energy Rebate program. This meeting will provide an overview of the Department’s conceptual proposals for deploying $58 million in federal funding Vermont expects to receive and solicit input on program design. The $8.8 billion Home Energy Rebate program was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act and is being administered by the Department of Energy.
Your participation and feedback are encouraged to inform how these funds can best serve Vermonters by supporting weatherization and electrification initiatives. This will also be an opportunity to ask the Department questions about the Home Energy Rebate program. Questions? Please contact Ian Lund ([email protected])
or Melissa Bailey ([email protected]) directly.
Get a New Heat Pump Water Heater for FREE!
June 6, 6-7:30pm
An old hot water heater can be a drain on your monthly energy bill. Now income-eligible households can switch to a new heat pump water heater and get up to 100 percent of costs covered (up to $5,000). Don’t miss this opportunity to lock in big savings for your home.
Clean Heat Standard – PUC Feedback Request
June 6, 6-7:30pm
The Clean Heat Standard will impact what you pay to heat your home or business. Vermont Partnership for Fairness & Diversity is working with the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) to fulfill their obligation under Act 18 of 2023 to create a Clean Heat Standard rule to present to the Vermont General Assembly. An anticipated outcome of their work will be new opportunities for you to save on your heating costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Your thoughts will inform the PUC as they create the new Clean Heat Standard. This potential Standard will serve as a critical component of Vermont’s effort to combat climate change and meet the Global Warming Solution Act’s goals.
Solar for All Vermont!
Over $62 million awarded
The Vermont Department of Public Service (PSD) is pleased to announce an award of $62.45 million for Solar for All Vermont (SAV), which will allow low-income Vermonters to access the benefits of solar power. This award is part of the historic $7 billion Solar For All Competition (SFA), which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to lower energy costs for families, create jobs, advance environmental justice and tackle the climate crisis. Solar For All Vermont will allow qualifying low-income households to benefit from clean distributed energy. The program intends to offer three distinct options to Vermonters:
- Residential solar installations for homeowners
- Opportunities for membership in a community solar project
- Benefits for residents of affordable housing
VT Climate Action Plan Update: Kick-off Events
June 18 & 20 (online)
Please provide feedback at one of these events!
The Vermont Climate Council and its Subcommittees want to hear from you about your priorities for the Climate Action Plan’s update, due July 1, 2025.
Vermont’s Initial Climate Action Plan was adopted in 2021 and is due to be updated in 2025. The Vermont Climate Council and its Subcommittees want to hear from Vermonters about their priorities for the revised Plan. Join the Council for a virtual discussion to learn about the Plan, voice your priorities for its revision, and connect to future engagement opportunities for climate action in Vermont.
Closed captioning will be provided. Please contact Sophi Veltrop with accessibility requests, including language interpretation, at [email protected] or (802) 522-9555.
VT Municipal Vulnerability Indicator (MVI) Tool
A new online tool that helps towns across Vermont understand their vulnerabilities to climate change is now available!
Send questions to NVDA.
Legislative Roundup 2024
June 28, 10-11:30am (online)
This VCLN workshop will bring together voices from the State, legislature, and advocacy groups to share key highlights from the 2024 session and how your community can connect to potential opportunities that may emerge in the year ahead.
Northeastern Vermont Development Association | PO Box 630 36 Eastern Ave. Suite 1 | St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
