By Sam Douglass

The Vermont House Committee is moving forward on a data collection bill that has some lawmakers and advocates worried about the resurrection of the Clean Heat Standard, or at least something similar. 

On Thursday this week, the House Committee on Energy and Infrastructure is scheduled to vote on H.740, a bill introduced by committee chair Representative Kathleen James (D-Bennington 4), that aims to build out reporting infrastructure for fuels, mainly data on sales of propane, gasoline, diesel, and home heating fuel. Rep. James and other supporters of the bill have expressed that this is a top priority for climate action during this session and believe that it is the first step towards making transformative climate policy in Vermont. 

Information for In Committee news reports are sourced from GoldenDomeVt.com and the General Assembly website. Generative AI has not been used in the writing of this story.

The bill itself does not make any substantive changes to climate policy. It sets up future legislatures to carry the weight of those decisions. 

H.740 also carries a price tag. The Agency of Natural Resources has requested a total appropriation of $800,000 in order to implement the legislation, with $500,000 year-to-year to be added to future budgets. 

Due to a lack of comprehensive statewide data on emissions and fuel use, lawmakers and regulators face difficulties implementing climate policies. The sponsor of the bill said this lack of information is a main driver for her bill, stemming from questions that were leveled by the Agency of Natural Resources about the implementation of the Clean Heat Standard. “Upfront cost versus long term savings. Is this progressive? Is this helpful? Is it regressive? Does it help? Does it hurt?…What is this gonna cost? What are the benefits?” stated James during the initial discussion in early February. 

The creation of such reporting infrastructure was also one major recommendation from the Climate Action Plan that was passed nearly unanimously from the 23 member Vermont Climate Council in 2025. 

Conversations around a fuel dealer registration and emission reductions have signaled to some lawmakers that the Clean Heat Standard isn’t as dead as has been portrayed. Act 18 (2023), commonly known as the Clean Heat Standard, itself included provisions for fuel dealers to register and submit data from fuel dealers on the type and amount of fuels that were sold or purchased in Vermont. However, this registration system lacked an enforcement method and compliance was low. 

“So this is a reincarnation of the Clean Heat Standard?” asked Representative Michael “Mike” Southworth (R-Caledonia 2) during committee conversation in early February. 

“Oh gosh. Not at all,” said James in response to the question.

While committee members have been abundantly clear that H.740 is not a resurrection of the Clean Heat Standard, they have also been clear that access to data is one of the major obstacles to implementing the necessary robust policies to meet the benchmarks of the Global Warming Solutions Act. 

The Clean Heat Standard was widely considered as one such policy to meet these benchmarks, but it was sidelined due to a lack of legislative action to provide authority for the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to continue with the program. Opponents also cited unnecessary bureaucratic complexity and an overly burdensome system that places high costs on low-income families. 

In a December 2025 memo to lawmakers, the Secretary of Agency of Natural Resources Julia Moore appears to concur with the supporters of the bill by stating that any large-scale regulation of fuels or emissions would require a program similar to that being proposed in H.740. “A comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting program is foundational for any sector-wide or multi-sectoral policy or regulatory approach to reduce GHG emissions and so would be integral to any broad-based effort(s) to reduce GHG emissions,” said Moore. 

Without data to inform policy decisions, lawmakers are flying blind in an area where missteps in policy can be costly—and not just for the state. As Vermonters head to the polls this year, affordability will likely be a priority, and for many the stakes couldn’t be higher. Many Vermonters are feeling a price crunch as they’ve paid their heating bills this winter and are concerned that hasty new laws could lead to increased prices for residents in coming years. 

It is this feared increase in fossil fuel prices and reliance on the fuel industry that Representative James cites as one of her reasons for being passionate about climate action and the transition to electric. “So Vermonters who can afford these investments are doing it. They’re buying an EV, they’re weatherizing their homes, and they are reaping immediate and lasting savings. And Vermonters who can’t afford to do this work, they are left behind. So they are stuck using fossil fuels, the polluting fuels of the past, and they are paying whatever price is being driven by an unregulated global fossil fuels market.” 

With H.740 in place, Vermont will have the data for future lawmakers to implement changes that could bring Vermont on track for our climate benchmarks. Elections this November will send a new legislature to Montpelier. The outcome could have wide implications for climate policy and the role fossil fuels play in heating our homes and propelling our vehicles. 

The Vermont Daily Chronicle has hired former state senator Samuel Douglass as a staff reporter mainly covering Vermont culture, history, and politics. Douglass will work on a per-story basis, drawing on his expertise as a former lawmaker to navigate the politics and nuances of the legislative system.

In November 2024 he was elected to the Vermont Senate, representing Orleans County, as the youngest senator in state history. As a freshman legislator, he introduced and spearheaded bills for agriculture, reforming vehicle inspection laws, and supporting cost-effective substance abuse recovery. 

In addition to his work with the Chronicle, Sam is a freelance writer and stay-at-home parent for his and his wife’s one child. The couple manages a small online/retail business and operate an organic family farm/farmstand. They keep beehives, goats, chickens, and ducks. 

Sam was born in Newport City and grew up in a family with deep, multi-generational roots in Jay and North Troy. Sam plays classical piano and violin, and his hobbies include reading, advocating for local agriculture, writing for online publications, coin collecting, fishing, and painting.