by Alison Despathy

An open letter to the Vermont Senate and House Energy committees  

Three months into the 2025 Legislature, zero action has been taken to end the irresponsible and extremist, supermajority Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) that was passed over the Governor’s veto. 

You are sitting repeal bills in your committees. Your inaction is enabling lawsuits, wasting taxpayer money, and will crush local businesses. Why are you not stepping up to help Vermont?

You know the Conservation Law Foundation filed a lawsuit against the State of Vermont for not meeting the unrealistic and self-imposed emission reductions requirements mandated in the Global Warming Solutions Act, which mandates that the Climate Council produce the Climate Action Plan initiatives, programs and strategies “to prioritize the most cost-effective, technologically feasible, and equitable greenhouse gas emissions reduction pathways and adaptation and preparedness strategies informed by scientific and technical expertise.”

This is the law. Yet none of the Climate Councils’ proposals have aligned with this statement. The Clean Heat Standard, ironically called the Affordable Heat Act, would increase heating fuel costs, the Cap and Invest program would significantly increase the cost of gas and diesel and the Advanced Clean Car regulations are set to destroy the sale of vehicles in Vermont and further depress the economy here in Vermont.

The GWSA has already cost Vermonters intense anxiety and millions of dollars for studies, new positions, contracts, data modeling and reports. This money could have been spent weatherizing homes, increasing efficiency, and hardening infrastructure to save Vermonters money, reduce energy use and prepare for storms

If the private right of action – i.e. anyone can sue the State – is not removed from the Global Warming Solutions Act, Vermont will undoubtedly be ordered by the courts to take action. In 2016, when Massachusetts was sued by Conservation Law Foundation for not meeting their self-imposed emission reduction requirements, part of the “solution” was the highly controversial and expensive Northern Pass project which was a plan to run ‘clean energy’ from Canada’s Hydro-Quebec through New Hampshire to Massachusetts. Communities and environmental groups in New Hampshire fiercely fought this plan and won which resulted in MA rerouting through Maine only to run into the same battle.

This has been an expensive ordeal. Hostilities between the states have increased dramatically. Vermont does not need to be forced to take impulsive, extreme and financially burdensome action at the expense of Vermonters, especially when your committee can prevent this destructive path. A court order will move decision making out of your control and bring wide ranging collateral damage.

Conservation Law Foundation is a special interest, tax exempt organization based in Boston specializing in climate activist lawsuits.

It is positioned to make out like bandits. Vermont taxpayers who will foot the bill for this lawsuit in addition to any court ordered action. 

Conservation Law Foundation’s 2021 Form 990, reports $28,629,801 in total revenue and $40 million in total assets.

You are failing to act. The end of the session is near. H.52 would repeal the lawsuit clause and change emission reductions requirements to goals. H.62 repeals the GWSA including the Climate Council and reverts back to the Comprehensive Energy Plan for Vermont’s climate and energy policy.

House Bill 289 and Senate Bill 110 both offer a comprehensive approach to rebalancing Vermont’s current impractical and unaffordable climate policy. As you heard in testimony, this bill also rectifies the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) passed into law last year, despite the Governor’s veto. 

The RES favors special interest over Vermonters and if allowed to move forward, Vermont ratepayers will unnecessarily pay hundreds of millions of dollars more in electricity rates, including millions to buy renewable energy credits in order to ridiculously hide the fact that we still use and will need nuclear as a reliable base load power source. Many Vermonters are struggling to make ends meet and with the unknown impacts of federal actions, taking risks with Vermonters’ ability to afford living expenses is cruel and regressive policy.

Ignoring these bills has moved beyond irresponsible and become injurious. It begs the questions: Do you want Vermont to be sued? Do you care what the economic impacts will be on Vermonters and our local businesses who already have the third highest tax burden in the country and are experiencing exponentially increasing property taxes and healthcare costs? 

As elected officials, I know you care deeply for your constituents. Please see the reality of the situation and take action to fix this crisis.

The author is a clinical nutritionist in St. Johnsbury.