By Paul Bean

The Senate Natural Resources Committee discussed repeal of the Clean Heat Standard Thursday. The Democrat-controlled committee discussed several problematic details, and Chair Anne Watson (D-Washington) promised to continue the discussion. However, there was no explicit promise to bring the repeal bill, S.68, to the full Senate for a vote. 

Sen. Terry Williams (R-Rutland) told VDC by phone that he was “glad they are even having discussion about a repeal bill and that his colleagues seem to be open about further discussion, and maybe even a vote on the floor.”

“The concern I’ve got is I was in the Legislature when this became a check back, and we all agreed that we would have a check back at the beginning of the next biennium. Well then I found out we couldn’t do that… unless we have a new bill,” said Senator Williams in committee on Thursday. 

A provision in Act 18 requires that the program’s detailed rules and implementation plan be developed by the Public Utility Commission and should come back to the Vermont Legislature for review and approval in 2025. Specifically, it mandates that both the House and Senate must vote affirmatively on a new bill, which the Governor must then sign before the Clean Heat Standard can take effect.

“So that’s why it’s important for me. I just think that we, the people that are concerned about the Affordable Heat Act, want that to go away. I understand from you that it’s part of the PUC report that it was not recommended that we implement that, then we need to convince me that we don’t need to do that,” Williams said. 

Pushback against abolishing six state jobs

One of the big concerns from some lawmakers about S.68 is the complete elimination of six positions, which the Legislative Council warns is ‘unusual.’

“The third section is a very unusual provision in a bill,” said Ellen Czajkowski, a member of the Legislative Council. “So this is the abolishment of the leading standard for positions. It abolishes the six staff positions that were created under Act 18.”

Under Act 18, six jobs were created in the PUC and Department of Public Service to implement the program. A total repeal of the Clean Heat Standard would include an elimination of these positions. 

“So this provision would terminate their employment if it was passed. This is a very unusual provision to include in a bill. We don’t normally do it this way….I don’t know the full repercussions of this. I don’t know if any of those six members are part of the union. So if there was, there potentially could be some legal ramifications from that. And then other than that, it’s effective on passage. So those are the three sections of the bill,” Czajkowski said. 

Another section of the repeal bill would eliminate the information-sharing agreement that allows the PUC and the Department of Public Service to request information from the tax department regarding fuel so they can audit their fuel dealer’s registry. 

GOP senator open to fuel dealer registry

Towards the end of the meeting, Senator Scott Beck (R-Caledonia) said that a registry may be something we ought to implement anyway. “I am also interested in retaining the data collection aspect of it. I’m open to thinking about it, in different ways as long as that data is available for use and analysis of any future legislation pertaining to the thermal sector,” said Senator Beck.

“I understand too that,  the people who are fuel dealers, you know, that this is a largely unregulated industry and it might be painful to either keep a registry or to become regulated in some way. But I think that is ultimately probably necessary. If there’s better ways to collect this data, I’m open to that,” Beck said. 

Senator Ruth Hardy agreed with Sen Beck, “I think having that data is really helpful. I am always in favor of sort of cleaning up the statutes for things that we’re not don’t need. So I’m open to that conversation. I guess I just wanna understand the implications of what we’re doing. I have really, really  big concerns about just eliminating those six positions in a bill like that,” said Sen. Hardy. “I don’t think it’s fair to those employees to be singled out like that in a bill.”

See all bills assigned to this committee here. Constituents may contact committee members (click link on name for bio, party affiliation, etc.) with comments, questions and information at the following email addresses: 

Anne Watson, Washington County, Chair, awatson@leg.state.vt.us

Terry Williams, Rutland, Vice Chair, Twilliams@leg.state.vt.us

Ruth Hardy, Addison, rhardy@leg.state.vt.us

Seth Bongartz, Bennington, sbongartz@leg.state.vt.us

Scott Beck, Caledonia, sbeck@leg.state.vt.us

All committee transcripts are available at www.goldendomevt.com. Committee meeting video available at the committee’s YouTube channel. The committee meets in the morning in Room 8.