OPINION: Why not show love to local energy?

March 19, 2025  |  By Paul Lesure

I think about energy a lot. I grew up in a drafty house with cold bedrooms, whereas my best friend lived in a modern, passive solar house that was always comfortable. That contrast put the role energy consumption and efficiency play into clear focus at a young age. 

This idea led me to focus on environmental conservation in college and a career in renewables. It also led me to look into the role energy plays in society. Many of our leaders and other great thinkers have discussed the role of energy in society. George W. Bush said, “Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world” in 2006. 

As we look to address various energy policies, I encourage our leaders to keep these thoughts in mind. Societally, the idea of energy independence is often viewed through the lens of “drill baby drill”. But I’d challenge that’s not the solution due to our global markets. In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and global natural gas supplies were disrupted, nearly doubling natural gas supplies in just a month while at the same time, the US had a surplus of natural gas production. 

So what happened? Why didn’t our surplus production insulate us from these spikes? We live in a global market, and many exporters bought up all the US supplies they could to reap the benefits of the high prices in Europe. It’s simple economics: when demand goes up and supply stays the same, the price goes up. With 50% of the New England grid reliant on natural gas, this hit the grid hard. On the other side of the table, we now have an administration threatening to put tariffs on Canadian energy imports. In 2023, over 25% of Vermont’s electricity came from Hydro Quebec. This puts us in a bind with the global markets. 

But there’s a path forward to greater energy independence and that’s local energy supplies. In Vermont, we love our local syrup, local beer, and local cheese, so why not show love to local energy? Vermont has a thriving energy economy with an abundance of companies offering solar, energy storage, supporting local hydro facilities, and some would love to offer wind if it were allowed still. They provide jobs to our friends and neighbors in many forms: excavators, electricians, carpenters, accountants, project managers, marketers, truck drivers, warehouse managers, and so many more. Whereas imported fuels provide jobs elsewhere. 

Having spent a decade in the renewables industry and as chair of the board for Renewable Energy Vermont, I’m not going to tell you there’s not a cost. Transitioning our economies is always an investment. The original power grid was costly, the roads were costly, but they provided us a great benefit. Renewables and energy storage provide that, too. It’s not just about climate change; it’s energy independence and resilience for our state. For every project we install, we insulate our state from the fluctuation of the global supply chain. Yes, there’s an upfront cost, but many of these systems are financed with long-term agreements that offer a stable price for 25 years, no matter what happens globally. Now, will the companies who install and own these make a profit? Yes, because that’s how you run any business. But they won’t ship these electrons overseas because it’s more profitable. 

These systems are also distributed energy generation resources. They’re all over the state. On houses, libraries, businesses, town halls, in local fields, and in our rivers. These distributed resources again provide security to our state through the nature of the decentralized resources. If one system goes down due to an extreme weather event or, god forbid, a bad actor, the others often stay operational. When the grid goes out, these systems when paired with energy storage can also provide backup power. 

As our legislature debates the future of renewable energy policy, the question can’t just be about what’s cheaper or more affordable today. America is the number-one producer of oil and gas in the world, but we still face the volatility of the markets. We need to think about the long term, the value of investing in our local economies, and in the stability of our energy costs for all our citizens. Again, we support local syrup, local beer, local crafters, and so many other local industries. Let’s also support our local energy providers for a more resilient and energy independent Vermont. 

Paul Lesure is chair of the board of directors of Renewable Energy Vermont, the state’s clean-energy trade association.