By Guy Page
An organization named Vermont Stands Up urges Vermonters opposing the Clean Heat Standard bill passed by the Senate to ask their House representatives to reject it.
H715 was amended by the Senate last week to require the Legislature to vote on the Public Utilities Commission plan to transition Vermont from carbon-based home heat to electric heat and weatherization. The House had decided against that safeguard when it passed H715 earlier this year. Because the Senate amended the bill, and House and Senate must agree on the exact language of a bill before sending it to the governor for his signature, the Senate change must be approved or rejected by the House.
The ‘Action Alert’ reads as follows:
We still have time to make a difference! Due to an amendment by Governor Scott, the House of Representatives will vote again on the Clean Heat Standard Bill this week.
Please contact your legislators and ask them to consider voting NO to the Clean Heat Standard Bill. (H.715)
The Clean Heat Standard Bill (H.715) will usher in regulation of small local energy providers and Vermont residents, with regulatory power and taxing responsibility being placed in the hands of an unelected body; the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). This carbon tax legislation will have massive negative impacts on Vermont’s economy, Vermont farmers, small businesses and Vermont residents. This is the opposite of both social and environmental justice, it is agenda driven legislation by industry. This is regulation not environmental action.
The evidence to properly assess any real, tangible benefit to the environment with this bill (H.715) is non-existent. In reality, energy still needs to be created and the process of transforming energy from one form to another is inevitably inefficient, as energy is actually lost in this process.
Furthermore, the science is heavily divided on the cold climate heat pumps (electric heat systems) this legislation will require residents, with particular heating scenarios, to install. Not only are they expensive and short-lived, but research also shows these heat systems have low performance and are unable to heat effectively during Vermont’s coldest months. We all know that making heat from electricity is NOT efficient.
If passed, this impulsive legislation will set a dangerous precedent, and will not serve the people of Vermont. It will be difficult to reverse this legislation after its damage has been realized. Let us evaluate options and gather the information first and then move forward accordingly. Not vice versa.
Here is a farmer’s perspective and concerns on H.715. Please take a moment to read: Colburns: Climate Action Plan will put VT farmers out of business – Vermont Daily Chronicle
Please urge your representatives to not act in haste and to vote NO so that the technology and impacts of this legislation can be properly assessed.
Use our Contact Your Legislator tool to compose a message that will be sent to all of your representatives!
Categories: Legislation
The only legislation the stooge Legislature passes is impulsive and dangerous – that is their directive from the Master. Once it is deemed all of it was done under fraudulent and criminal conduct, it will be repealed. No amount of contacting the perpretrators and future defendents will result in a reversal of their directive. They have to be charged and convicted, until then, they will do as their Master commands.
It’s one thing to help people weatherize their homes or upgrade their heating systems, but punishing them by law for not doing so or sticking with the “wrong” heating system is the definition of procrustean.
Hard working responsible Vermonters, shivvering in their living rooms and taking cold showers,
just so the pretty Wealthy people can feel good about themselves
Vermonters will have to choose food or heat. The heat pumps have problems here in our cold weather state. Why not pass new construction laws that require solar hot water heaters together with solar heat. I say vote the legislatures OUT that agree with this bill, they are not doing their job with the Vermonter in mind.