Bill Updates
- 715 Clean Heat Standard: The House Appropriations Committee agreed to spend $1.2 million designing the Vermont Clean Heat Standard. The bill represents a fee on any business, no matter what the size, that sells heating fuel in Vermont. An amendment adding a “look back” provision, to give the legislature the ability to review the program after it is designed so that the cost impacts can be examined before it is implemented, was rejected and the bill advanced by a vote of 8-4. The House will vote on the CHS next week. Read more at vermontfuel.com/chs.
- 329 Discrimination: This bill has been further amended after the Vermont Chamber provided the House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee with comments on unintended consequences. It now awaits a committee vote to proceed.
- S.269 Energy Savings Account Partnership Pilot Program: This bill extends a pilot program created prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow participating companies to invest their electric efficiency charge directly into onsite efficiency projects. Due to the pandemic, the rollout of the program was slowed. Vermont Chamber members testified on the importance of this program before the Senate Finance Committee which voted the measure out favorably.
