Dear Editor,
In last week’s article by James Kent, “House Republicans mull a plan to repeal the environmental Clean Heat Standard,” he incorrectly suggests the cost impact on heating fuel is only a couple of cents per gallon, citing a report by Energy Futures. We wish that were true, but unfortunately it is not.
Act 18 (Clean Heat Standard) calls for the Vermont Dept. of Public Service to complete a thermal sector carbon reduction study that would assess and quantify the impact of the legislation. The department contracted with Optimal Energy, a Hinesburg, Vermont consulting firm acquired by NV5 Global (Nolte Vertical 5) in 2021, to conduct the study analysis. The results were published in September.
According to the analysis by NV5, the price of a gallon of fuel oil could increase by $4.04 and propane by $3.22. Those numbers would decrease if they were subsidized. That is why you see a range of $1.79 to $4 per gallon in their report.
When the legislation (then S.5) was under consideration last year, I had even offered an amendment to limit the expected price impact to no more than 20 cents per gallon. The amendment, offered to add some guardrails to the initiative, was soundly rejected by the legislative supermajority.
Act 18 was enacted by the Legislature over a veto by Governor Scott in 2023. While the final rules to fully implement the measure still need legislative approval, I believe its clear Act 18 is too expensive for Vermont and should be scrapped.
I am pleased to be a co-sponsor of legislation that will be introduced in January that repeals the measure.
Jim Harrison, state representative of Chittenden, Killington, Mendon and Pittsfield
