OP-ED: VT and the region make progress in fighting global warming
October 4, 2024 | By Peter Sterling
Though the tragic and costly impacts of changing weather extremes on Vermont continue to (justifiably) make headlines, they shouldn’t totally overshadow recent accomplishments in the fight to reduce global warming before it is too late.
This progress is happening because New Englanders have demanded real leadership and action in the face of the climate crisis and our elected officials are responding by thinking globally and acting locally.
In Vermont, we have two recent pieces of good news. In June, the Vermont Legislature voted to create a 100% Renewable Energy Standard – just the second of its kind in the nation. As a result, by 2035 all Vermont residents and businesses will enjoy the benefits of 100% renewable energy while doing our part to reduce climate pollution. Thanks to the leadership of Sen. Bernie Sanders, this past spring Vermont received $62 million in “Solar for All” funding to help thousands of low- and middle-income Vermonters access the benefits of solar power – whether they own their homes, live in affordable housing units or access solar power through community solar programs.
Nationally, the Inflation Reduction Act has injected billions of dollars in private-sector investments into wind, solar and energy storage while also making residential solar power an affordable reality for millions of Americans. Since the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2021, clean energy investments needed to reduce climate pollution have increased substantially. For every $1 in clean energy tax credits offered by the IRA, $5-6 is spent by the private sector helping to bring renewable energy on line, reducing the need for burning fossil fuels that cause our planet to overheat. Importantly, the IRA has also supercharged the creation of a Made-in-the-USA solar panel production industry, bringing thousands of manufacturing jobs across the country and keeping even more of our energy dollars here at home.
Regionally, construction of the Champlain Hudson Power Express is now underway. This power line running across the bottom of Lake Champlain will connect Canada’s clean hydroelectric power to New York City, supplying about 20% of that city’s power. The project incorporates technology that would allow for two-way clean power transmission around the region – technology that will further accelerate decarbonizing our electric grid by allowing greater movement of renewable energy generated by wind and solar to meet our real time energy needs.
Earlier this month, Massachusetts and Rhode Island jointly announced the largest offshore wind procurement in the region which, when completed, will be capable of providing enough electricity to power more than 1.4 million homes. This commitment to purchasing electricity generated by offshore wind is a critical step in meeting the growth in electricity that’s expected in our region and is necessary to close down the dozens of climate-endangering, dirty fossil fuel plants that still provide much of New England’s power in peak times. Collaborative purchases by Vermont utilities of affordable, stably-priced clean energy from regional offshore wind also holds great promise for the future.
While our work to avert the worst of the climate crisis is far from done, these recent accomplishments testify to the momentum building behind the clean energy solutions we need to get the job done.
Peter Sterling is the Executive Director of Renewable Energy Vermont, a nonprofit trade association representing Vermont businesses working towards a 100% renewable energy future.