by Rep. Scott Beck, St. Johnsbury

In 2023 Vermont’s super majority passed Act 18 (Clean Heat Standard), overriding Governor Scott’s veto. Act 18 directed the Public Utility Commission to develop a marketplace whereby Vermont fuel dealers would charge a carbon fee to Vermonters that continued to use fuel oil, kerosene, coal, or propane. Carve outs were created for wood and natural gas, the predominant fuel in much of Addison and Chittenden County. So much for we are all in this together.

Estimates varied wildly as to what this carbon fee would be. Many super majority legislators wishfully said it would probably be a nickel while alarmists said it would be $4.00 or more. Vermont’s Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources and environmentalist Julie Moore estimated that the carbon fee would be about $0.70 per gallon and cost Vermonters $2B between 2026 and 2030; she was ridiculed by the supermajority.

The Public Utility Commission hired NV5 Technical Engineering to determine what the carbon fee would need to be to satisfy another bill that the super majority passed over Governor Scott’s veto in 2020, Act 153 (Global Warming Solutions). NV5 has determined that Secretary Moore’s prediction of $2B between 2026 and 2030 did in fact miss the mark, the calculated cost is actually $7B, $11,058 on a Vermont per capita basis. And the expected pre-inflation cost for 2031-2050 is expected to be an additional $10B according to NV5. Of course, there is a big question to be answered – will any Vermonters stick around to pay the carbon fee?

One might expect that members of the super majority or any candidate hoping to join the super majority would reject the Clean Heat Standard as poor policy and pledge to oppose it in January after hearing NV5’s estimate. I haven’t heard a peep. Instead, I hear existing super majority legislators and aspirants repeatedly claim they are moderate. It isn’t moderate or compassionate to crush Vermonters because they can’t afford an additional carbon fee to stay warm in the winter.

I was a no on the Clean Heat Standard in 2023 because it was so obviously designed for the benefit of special interest groups and climate warrior legislators with no understanding of economics, science, reality, or Vermonters.

Vermont is the greenest state in the nation, has a not-measurable effect on global CO2, and is decreasing carbon use as fast as technology and affordability allow. Leave Vermonters alone, they just want to heat their homes as inexpensively and efficiently as possible so that they might be able to afford this year’s education property tax bill and increased electric rates. The super majority passed those over Governor Scott’s veto too.