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Presents two options for scrapping it and starting over. Vermonters won’t like either option
by Rob Roper
You know the story. For over three years, Joe Biden’s critics repeatedly pointed out what should have been obvious to anyone paying attention that the guy wasn’t mentally with it. But despite evidence steadily piling up in support of that conclusion, the President’s supporters insisted he was fine. Even great! A sycophantic leftist press corps eagerly went along with the make believe…. And then came the debate.
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Well, the Clean Heat Standard (aka Unaffordable Heat Act) looks like it’s about to have its Joe Biden Debate moment.
For three years critics such as your humble author here have been repeatedly pointing out that this Rube Goldberg Carbon Tax (Copyright Dick McCormack) is unworkably complicated, and that any attempt to implement it would be wildly, unbelievably, absurdly expensive. Pshaw! sneered its sponsors. Misinformation! cried the propagandists in the media.
But now, just days away from when the Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to pull the sheet off their draft plan for how this thing will work for all the world to finally see, Efficiency Vermont (who as the presumptive Default Delivery Agent in this scheme has presumably had a peek) submits eight-pages of comments and recommendations. We’ll get to the specifics in a moment, but here’s my translation of the gist: The Clean Heat Measure/Carbon Credit market will never work, and you need to scrap this whole thing and start over.
Their wording is of course more formal, phrased in politically delicate terms, and I’ll say it, painfully turgid, but here’s a key passage:
Efficiency Vermont can anticipate that such arrangements for transfer of credits will necessitate bilateral or potentially complex multilateral agreements between customers, the EEU, Distribution Utilities, contractors, installers, midstream dealers, and could even include upstream manufacturers. The complexity of these arrangements also give rise to concerns over the veracity of projects claiming credits and the rigor of their completion….
It is not intuitive nor technically defined how such a market is intended to work or benefit the suite of existing programs in practice throughout Vermont…. but without knowing how a credit is bought, sold, or traded via market process, Efficiency Vermont is unsure of the efficiency or efficacy of monetizing credits….
[I]n an unorganized and unregulated market where multiple entities hold credits (i.e., supply from existing parties), and multiple entities seek credits (i.e., demand from obligated parties), there are a seemingly infinite number of combinations that may result in obligated parties acquiring the appropriate amount of credits that is equal to their specific compliance obligation…. The risk of an unregulated market, therefore, is that while compliance may ultimately be achieved after several years, the buying and selling of credits itself becomes grossly inefficient, asymmetrical, and potentially more costly for all parties.
Yeah. Like I’ve been saying, it’s unworkably complicated, unverifiable, and crazy expensive for all concerned. And I’m going to steal “grossly inefficient” for future use.
Beyond that, it appears reading between the lines that given the complexity demanded by the legislature, the PUC has not actually figured out how to make it work. When Efficiency Vermont says things like, “Market formation to monetize and transfer ownership of credits is therefore a critical component that the Commission should consider in determining the draft rule,” the implication is the PUC hasn’t done so, and that is kinda problematic.
“Should consider” is too polite. “Shall” is what’s legally required. The Clean Heat Standard IS a carbon credit trading scheme based on turning clean heat measures into, as the law states, “a tradeable, nontangible commodity that represents the amount of greenhouse gas reduction attributable to a clean heat measure. The Commission shall [emphasis added]establish a system of management for clean heat credits pursuant to this chapter.” Without a working credit market, there is no program. Are we about to find out next week that the dog ate the PUC’s homework?
Efficiency Vermont’s memo isn’t all criticism of the law as it is written, they do have alternative suggestions. They are, option A, to scrap the idea of turning clean heat measures (actions like installing heat pumps or weatherizing buildings) into tradable carbon credits, and instead conduct auctions in which a set number of carbon allowances would be sold to obligated parties bidding on them. And option B, just implement a straightforward carbon tax on fossil heating fuels – which is what this #$^&*! thing is and has been all along!
And what to do with all that cash when it’s collected? Efficiency Vermont has a suggestion for that too: just give it to Efficiency Vermont! Which is also what this scam has been about all along.
So, I’ll offer option C. Scrap the whole thing, fire every legislator who voted for it, and replace them with lawmakers who will kill it for good.
Video Extras
Want a good laugh (or cry)? Check out members of the Technical Advisory Group tie themselves in knots trying to not call the Clean Heat fees fees. This is the gaslighting, folks!
And nice to see some members of the Equity Advisory Groups expressing some realism regarding the Unaffordable Heat Act. It’s too expensive, and Vermonters will have to turn to burning wood when this law makes heating fuels too expensive.
- Rob Roper is a freelance writer with 20 years of experience in Vermont politics including three years service as chair of the Vermont Republican Party and nine years as President of the Ethan Allen Institute, Vermont’s free market think tank.
Share Behind the Lines: Rob Roper on Vermont Politics
Event Notes: Rob Roper will be speaking on October 1, at the Wyckoff Sugarhouse, 18 Catamount Ln, Smugglers Notch, VT on “The Policies Making Vermont Unaffordable: A Look at what what Montpelier has been up to and has in store for VT taxpayers.” 5pm meet and greet with local candidates with the presentation beginning around 5:45 – 6pm.
Also Thurs, Oct 3, 6:30 pm, Ferrisburgh Town Hall.
And Tues, Oct 8, in Londonderry, details TBD.
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Categories: Commentary
Surprise// Surprise// Surprise// Now did TEL./// LIE./// VISION./// push all of this crap on to the poor Vermonters??????
I have trouble wrapping my head around the phrase “non-tangable commodity”.
Then again, in my opinion the whole program is a non-starter. Governments have absolutely no business tinkering with intangible commodities…..or non-tangable. Especially when it is hard to explain or understand the fuzzy concept of clean heat standards.
It’s holistic, this “non-tangible commodity”. You will be unburdened by what has been, as you are unburdened from your money to support the graft and corruption of what will be.
More importantly, will phil scott remain in his basement during this election cycle- or will he finally shout from the rooftops about this “clean heat standard” to get those unaware and unconcerned perhaps to make the effort to vote?
Certainly, there’s not much to learn from philscott.org, nor VT GOP- so has the alleged republican leadership gone silent? or, are they agnostic to the GWSA, “clean heat standard” and scott’s “affordability” tag line? Perhaps the lure of the billions of dollars at stake here in Vermont have some rethinking the Climate Change™ game and graft?
I’m Rob North, and this is exactly why I’m running for State Representative of Addison District 3 (Addison, Ferrisburgh, New Haven, Panton, Vergennes, Waltham):
I stopped at a couple’s house the other day, intrigued by the huge log they had in their front yard. After introducing myself and telling them that I’m running for State Representative, they asked “Who are you running against?” When I told them Matt Birong and Diane Lanpher, they were so excited. “We’re voting for you! And that guy you’re running with… Joe Baker. We want to meet him, too.” she said. “We’ve supported our current representatives for many years. But enough is enough. They’ve gone too far! We just got our tax bill. We can’t afford this. And now with the rising fuel costs, we’re not sure how we’re going to stay warm this winter!”
Come to find out that the huge log in their yard came from a big maple tree that was given to them. A tree service dropped it off and very generously cut it up into somewhat manageable pieces. So, here is this 80-year-old gentleman, out in the heat, trying to wrestle these big pieces onto his splitter in hopes of staying warm this winter. I was so deeply moved to see first-hand the predicament our legislature has put these people in that I returned the next day to help split some of his wood for the winter.
These are desperate times! I’ve always believed that the best way to help yourself in a difficult situation is to help someone else. That’s the reason why I helped split the wood, and why I chose to run for State Representative. To have a better community, we need better leaders. Please vote for me, Rob North for State Representative — for a much-needed change.
To learn more about me and my campaign, go to http://www.northforvthouse.com
Governor Scott has won reelection by a 70/30 margin, but it only takes a 51/49 margin for Republicans to be elected in November. Fewer than half of the Democrats who vote for Scott need to vote further down the ballot for Republicans to restore rational governance in the state legislature. As Rob’s story illustrates, those disenfranchised Democrats are out there.
Landel Cochran, a talented young man running for Senate in Addison County spoke at a reception last night in Middlebury where he and fellow candidate Steve Heffernan were introduced by Governor Scott.
Cochran asked for 3 things:
1. If your mother is alive, call her when you get home and tell her that you love her. 2. If you can afford to help my campaign, no matter how small the amount, please donate and help me get my message out.
3. Speak to people! People you know and more importantly people you don’t know who you see when you are out and about. You never know how a simple hello and friendly conversation might generate the vote needed to swing the election.
We need people like Rob North and Landel Cochran to help Governor Scott govern more effectively. Good people are running in almost every district. Take Landel’s advice. Make a difference in your home town.
Vermonters know that the boondoggle, isn’t worth the paper it was written on, the only ones in support are your progressive Super Majority, AKA ” Stupid Majority ”
Wake up people, they don’t care about your financial concerns, it’s look at us, and our agenda no matter the cost, a cost, and that cost goes to you………Vote them out, that’s all they’ll understand !!
If it comes to burning wood to stay warm, the majority will likely burn pellets. It easier and cleaner. But, if that becomes popular, where will the pellets come from? Trees that absorb CO2. Since the US exports pellets to the UK and EU, the competition will drive up the prices here. If burning pellets becomes too popular the legislature will put more taxes on them. It’s all about the $$$.
This is why i still burn wood and it not add to my light bill.
Well, who would have thought that a group of flatlanders not from VT, who moved here to be something and ran for the legislature to do something big like heal the planet form a tiny state. All this to feel better about themselves and to justify their importance to us little people. Or is there more to it?
However, none of these people knew then or know now a damn thing about what they were creating or did the? They were enticed by lobbyist money and an ideology that has failed in every place it’s implemented, gave you this mess, progressivism. Everything this legislature has done has cost us all more money leaving less for us to live on and pay our bills.
Estimates have it at 2/3rds of these legislators are not from Vermont. They came here to be a big fish in a little pond. There are legislators also from Vermont who ignored us and our constitution and sold out to the lobbyists and the green energy scam who are also either employed by or connected in one way or another to the possible money pot created by this failed green energy idea.
Then we learn that VT has one of the highest numbers of nonprofit, NGOs per capita in the country. Out of state money is connected to the green energy push and our legislature is representing them and not us. This article is a blessing in disguise. Now, after all the information that is available are you going to vote for the same people that are pushing you toward bankruptcy, forcing you to leave the state or making you cut back on life’s necessities? Do you enjoy the misery of high crime rates, drug dealers from border states to the south, the cost of housing and the influx of homeless lay abouts here to collect the attractive benefits given out without question, living in our hotel and motels paid with your tax dollars? If your answer is yes, you are either a fool, totally uninformed, brainwashed or just plain stupid. Remember that the republicans have not controlled the legislature in Vermont for decades. If you vote for democrats and progressives, all of this has been enabled by your votes.
Wait till you find out about league of cities and towns, both policy guidance and insurance….
Re: “Well, who would have thought that a group of flatlanders not from VT, who moved here to be something and ran for the legislature to do something big like heal the planet form a tiny state.”
Well, thank goodness Rob Roper, a flatlander no less, moved here and takes an interest in promoting reasonable behavior. As the idiom says, ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater’.
Question// Are the league of cities and towns the same as the league of nations?????
Every time the Clean Heat Standard swirls closer to the drain, I have to listen to….my favorite Billy Preston song. Not too many more listens, I guess, before the CHS is finally flushed down the bowl with the contents of a big box of RID-X. Good riddance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDtYo2IPTsw
“Will it go round in circles?”