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By Guy Page
A vote to repeal the Clean Heat Standard will be held in the Vermont Senate this afternoon. The vote will be close and Lt. Gov. John Rodgers has said he will cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of repeal.
As shown in today’s Senate calendar (page 1114), the proposed amendment has been attached to the third and final reading of H.493, the state budget AKA The Big Bill. The Senate gave preliminary approval to the budget yesterday. However, no final budget vote will be held until the upper chamber considers a Clean Heat Standard repeal amendment proposed by Sen. Scott Beck and reportedly backed by the other 12 members of the minority Republican caucus.
Thirteen votes leaves Beck two votes shy of a tie, in which case Rodgers has promised to vote with the Republicans. Will two Democrats vote in favor of repeal?
The Clean Heat Standard attempts to transition Vermont’s home and business heating from fossil fuels (mostly heating oil and natural gas) to electric-powered heat pumps, wood pellet stoves, and weatherization. The administrative-heavy system would be funded by a charge on wholesale fossil fuels.
Opponents say the charge is in effect a carbon tax weaponized to transition away from reliance on fossil fuel heat to electrification. They also say it would disproportionately impact poor, rural Vermonters with limited budget flexibility living in older homes.
Supporters say the Clean Heat Standard is the Legislature’s best solution to reaching mandated carbon emission reductions goals.
Contact information for Vermont Senators
Constituents may contact their Vermont senators at the State House by phone at 802-828-2228, or by email (see below).
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Categories: Energy, Environment, Legislation
Excuse me, i have to put another stick of wood in my wood stove and hope this does not continue all summer.
Now, what is the chance that Rogers vote will repeal??????
This Clean Heat Standard bill needs to be repealed, and any elected official that doesn’t vote to repeal it, needs to be turfed out, as they have no respect for the citizens of the state and the financial burden this will place on evryday Vermonters.
Wake up people, you don’t matter it’s all about the special interest groups promoting this nonsense !!
This clean heat act should’ve never passed in the first place. It’s too expensive for Vermont people and it limits the amount of choices to homeowners. Vermont is out of control. They think they can control the people by strong handing them and forcing them to do as told