Total Energy News – July 2020
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Your Update on Vermont and National Energy News
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Greetings!
Save the Date! The Energy Action Network will be holding its annual Network Summit Thursday and Friday, October 1-2, 2020. The Summit will take place virtually over two half-day sessions. More information and registration details to come.
Pitch Invitation
Once again, we want to
hear your pitch
for promising opportunities to help Vermont rapidly, cost-effectively, and equitably reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas pollution. Pitch topics could be new policies or regulations, programmatic ideas, proof-of-concept pilot projects, or something else.
NEW! Action Teams
In order to ensure that selected pitches lead to concrete action, EAN staff will provide network members with support, from organizing and facilitation of meetings to financial resources, to form Action Teams.
Find out more about pitches, action teams, selection criteria, and submit your pitch by clicking below.
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Join the Conversation
This summer, EAN will be convening conversations about the status of several of our network’s strategic leverage areas for energy transformation: policy and regulatory reform; public engagement; and capital mobilization. The goal of these conversations is to continue to build connection and information sharing among network members and to ensure the development of strategic, transformational pitch proposals in these areas.
Conversations are open to all network members, especially those with expertise and experience in each topic. Dates and registration info for each conversation can be found below in the What’s Coming Up? section.
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Emissions are surging back as countries re-open
After a drastic decline this spring, global greenhouse gas emissions are now rebounding sharply, scientists reported,
as countr
ies relax their lockdowns and traffic surges back o
nto roads.
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Many technologies needed to solve climate change aren’t ready
A new report surveys the field of clean energy technology and determines where various technologies are on the development curve and where they must get to achieve net zero by 2050.
Vox,
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“Banning” gas is out, electrifying buildings is in
In the year since the building gas ban trend burst onto the energy scene in CA, the movement has spread rapidly and evolved to the point that some electrification backers are already thinking about retiring the phrase “gas ban.”
S&P Global,
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Data Download – VT Energy Dashboard Update
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This month, in place of our usual Data Download, we want to provide an update on the
Vermont Community Energy Dashboard
.
EAN is currently working with the Public Service Department (PSD) and other partners about what the future of a Dashboard 2.0 might look like as a publicly funded and governed resource.
While these conversations are underway, we are prioritizing making sure the data behind the Energy Sites Maps and Community Progress Maps are kept up to date. You can access them easily by clicking on the Energy Atlas tab, or by going directly to
https://www.vtenergydashboard.org/atlas
. At present, the Dashboard does not support the LEAP model for tracking community progress, or the “Stories” reporting function.
To support the Dashboard, and EAN’s broader data needs going forward, we are hiring a full-time VT Energy Dashboard and EAN Data Manager. This position will work with data partners from state agencies, utilities, and other organizations to collect and organize the data that underlie the information and analysis on the Vermont Energy Dashboard (1.0) and the EAN Annual Progress Report for Vermont. They will also Serve as EAN’s point-person for the VT Public Service Department-led Dashboard 2.0 design and development process.
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EAN network members are invited to join us for any of the following strategic conversations
We’re inviting network members with relevant experience and expertise to discuss the status of several of our network’s strategic leverage areas for energy transformation:
- capital mobilization
- policy and regulatory reform
- public engagement
The goal of these conversations is to continue to build connection and information sharing among network members on work that is currently happening and to ensure the development of strategic, transformational pitch proposals in each of these areas.
Capital Mobilization
This discussion will be co-hosted by Rich Cowart of RAP and Neale Lunderville of VGS
Date and Time:
Thursday, July 23rd, 12:00 – 2:30
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Policy & Regulatory Reform
This discussion will be co-hosted by Johanna Miller of VNRC and Paul Costello of VCRD
Date and Time:
Monday, July 27th, 12:00 – 2:30
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Public Engagement
This discussion will be co-hosted by Kristin Carlson of GMP and Sarah Brock of Vital Communities
Date and Time:
Thursday, August 6th, 2:00 – 4:30
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Eco Equipment Supply
Summer is here and one place Vermonters can reduce their fossil use is in lawn care. Network member Eco-Equipment Supply, based in Charlotte, was created to bring the significant environmental and cost-saving benefits of electric, high performance lawn mowers to New England and Western New York State. Emissions from fossil-fuel powered lawnmowers are significant; running a lawnmower for an hour emits the same amount as driving a car for 300 miles (or driving 6 to 8 cars for an hour). Eco-Equipment Supply founder Steven Wisbaum has been a key advocate expanding the availability of electric mowers in the state. This summer he is spreading the word about two companies,
Granite City Landworks
in Montpelier and
Green Bee Lawn and Garden
in Chester, that are offering new electric lawn care services. These companies have become the seventh and eighth lawn care contractors in Vermont to make the switch to electric lawn care services, reducing the environmental impacts caused by lawn care equipment. Additionally, 17 of the 18 electric utilities in Vermont currently offer incentives to reduce the up-front costs of electric lawn care equipment.
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The Vermont Total Energy Ticker
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UVM announces plan to divest from fossil fuels
UVM’s board of trustees on Tuesday endorsed a plan that will prevent any new fossil fuel investments and require the university to cease any existing commitments in the coming years.
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Time for a green stimulus: how one VT utility can show the way
While Burlington Electric Department offered immediate COVID-19 related relief, their Green Stimulus aims to provide a near-term economic boost for the community and longer-term energy savings for customers.
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Vermont Senate approves Global Warming Solutions Act
The Vermont Senate approved legislation Thursday that would legally mandate the state meet carbon emission reductions targets in the coming years, and allow individuals to sue the government if it doesn’t.
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Have an upcoming event or news story to share?
Let us know.
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