The Sierra Club, Vermont Natural Resources Council, and Vermont Public Interest Research Group are happy to have presented a webinar discussing Vermont's Clean Heat Standard policy with appointed members of the Vermont Climate Council Richard Cowart from the Regulatory Assistance Project and Jared Duval of the Vermont Energy Action Network on Wednesday, November 8. After the Vermont Legislature passed the Affordable Heat Act last May, the Public Utility Commission has started to develop the Clean Heat Standard policy.
A Clean Heat Standard, or CHS, is an innovative policy that seeks to change the heating industry business model to address multiple goals- namely, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation, energy burden, and equity. Broadly, a CHS requires providers of fossil fuel heating (natural gas, propane, heating oil, etc.) to decrease their GHG emissions over time, leading to a gradual decrease in climate pollution in line with the state's climate goals.
Richard Cowart is an appointed member of the Vermont Climate Council and a principal at the Regulatory Assistance Project. He is an expert on clean energy policy, has worked extensively in the energy regulatory space, and has published multiple reports on Clean Heat Standards and related policy instruments.
Jared Duval is an appointed member of the Vermont Climate Council and the executive director of Energy Action Network, a Vermont-based network of nonprofits, businesses, public agencies, and other organizations working to support Vermont's climate and energy goals. Jared previously worked with the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, driving funding to green economy businesses throughout the state.
Check out some CHS reading materials from RAP here and EAN's CHS work here.