Gov. Phil Scott cheers U.S. rejoining Paris Climate Agreement

For Immediate Release
Friday, February 19, 2021

Media Contact
Jason Maulucci, Press Secretary
Office of the Governor
jason.maulucci@vermont.gov

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Governor Phil Scott today joined a bipartisan group governors in the U.S. Climate Alliance to applaud the decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, while highlighting the work Vermont is doing to combat climate change.

“As governor of Vermont and a member of the U.S. Climate Alliance, I thank President Biden for his decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement,” said Governor Scott. “To tackle climate change effectively, we need strong federal commitment, as well as local support. In Vermont, we’re working to do our part.”

In May 2017, Governor Phil Scott and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker wrote a letter to the U.S. secretary of energy urging the Administration to keep the country in the Agreement. After the U.S. announced its intention to withdraw, Governor Scott joined a bipartisan coalition of governors in the U.S. Climate Alliance, a group committed to combating climate change.

Governor Scott’s fiscal year 2022 budget proposal includes historic climate change mitigation investments, including over $40 million in new funding for weatherization, electric vehicle infrastructure and purchasing incentives, community solar projects and more.

Click here to watch the Governor’s remarks. A full transcript of Governor Scott’s video remarks is included below.

As governor of Vermont and a member of the U.S. Climate Alliance, I support President Biden’s decision to rejoin the Paris Agreement.

To tackle climate change effectively, we need a federal approach, as well as local support. In Vermont, we’re working to do our part. This year alone, even while confronting a pandemic, I’ve committed over $40 million to help Vermonters transition to electric vehicles, weatherization programs and community solar projects.

This includes $5 million to make it easier for low-and moderate-income Vermonters to buy EVs.

And over the last two years I’ve made charging infrastructure a priority by expanding the number of EV stations across Vermont. And we’ll install more this year.

By the end of 2021, every Vermonter will be within 30 miles of a fast-charging station.

As a result of this work, Vermont has the highest number of charging stations per capita in the country.

***

Vermont is known for its long, hard winters. And heating our homes and businesses accounts for 20 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

So, I’ve also allocated $25 million to support weatherization improvements, helping low-and moderate-income families tighten up their homes, so they can reduce fossil fuel use, stay warm, and cut down on heating costs.

Finally, I’m prioritizing solar expansion with an additional $10 million for community solar projects. This money will bring affordable and clean energy options to all Vermonters.

While we’re working hard at the local level to reduce emissions, our success also depends on federal action.

I want to thank President Biden for his leadership.

Renewing our commitment to the Paris Agreement will help the country act quickly to confront climate change.

Thank you.

Image courtesy of U.S. Department of State

14 thoughts on “Gov. Phil Scott cheers U.S. rejoining Paris Climate Agreement

  1. Typical politician, especially among the leftward tilting ones – bosting about feel-good accomplish-nothing spending money confiscated from working taxpayers.

  2. Heat Pumps are Money Losers in my Vermont House
    https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/poor-economics-of-electric-vehicles-in-new-england

    My annual electricity consumption increased about 50%, after I installed three 24,000 Btu/h heat pumps, each with 2 heads; 2 in the living room, 1 in the kitchen, and 1 in each bedroom.
    They are used for heating and cooling my, well-sealed/well-insulated house.
    They displaced a small fraction of my propane consumption.

    My existing propane system, 95%-efficient in condensing mode, is used on cold days, 15 F or less, because heat pumps would have low efficiencies, i.e., low Btu/kWh, at exactly the same time my house would need the most heat!

    There have been no energy cost savings, because of high household electric rates, augmented with taxes, fees and surcharges.
    Amortizing the $24,000 capital cost at 3.5%/y for 15 years costs about $2,059/y.
    There likely will be service calls and parts, as the years go by, in addition to service calls and parts for the existing propane system.
    https://www.myamortizationchart.com

    Spending huge amounts of capital that yield minor reductions in CO2 (high $/ton of CO2 reduction), is a recipe for low economic efficiency, and for low economic growth, on a state-wide and nation-wide scale, which would adversely affect state and US competitiveness in markets, and adversely affect living standards and job creation.

  3. Vermont Has Much Better Options Than Expensive Electric Buses
    https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/poor-economics-of-electric-vehicles-in-new-england

    1) Buildings: A state-wide building code, which would require new buildings to be highly sealed, highly insulated so they could easily be energy-surplus buildings, or be entirely off-the -grid. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, etc., have had such codes for at least a decade.

    Vermont should be replacing run-of-the-mill, old houses, with up-to-date, energy-surplus, off-the-grid, new houses, at a rate of at least 5,000 houses per year. There would be 150,000 such houses by 2050.

    Dabbling at weatherizing, at $10,000 per house, is politically attractive, but a gross waste of money. The goal should be energy conservation and high efficiency. Their combined effect would reduce CO2 at the least cost.

    2) Vehicles: A gas-guzzler vehicle code, which would impose a fee on 40-mpg vehicles. The more below 40-mpg, the higher the fee. Any vehicles with greater than 40-mpg, such as the 54-mpg Toyota Prius, would be exempt.

    “Break their will” RE zealots would have everyone drive unaffordable EVS, that would not reduce much CO2 compared with efficient gasoline vehicles.

    On a lifetime, A-to-Z basis, the:

    NISSAN Leaf S Plus, EV, compact SUV, no AWD, would emit 25.967 metric ton of CO2 over 10 years.
    TOYOTA Prius L Eco, 62 mpg, compact car, no AWD, would emit 26,490 Mt over 10y
    SUBARU Outback, 30 mpg, medium SUV, with AWD, would emit 43.015 Mt over 10y
    VT Light Duty Vehicle mix, 22.7 mpg, many with AWD or 4WD, would emit 56,315 Mt over 10y

    Future VT Light Duty Vehicle Mix

    If the VT LDV mix, gasoline and hybrid vehicles, average mileage would become 40 mpg (by means of carrots and sticks), CO2 would become about 22.7/40 x 56.315 = 32 Mt over 10y, which is near the CO2 of a Prius L Eco, on a lifetime, A-to-Z basis.
    https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/poor-economics-of-electric-vehicles-in-new-england

    It would take relatively minor changes to reduce the average CO2 from 56.315 Mt to about 32 Mt, an average reduction of 24 Mt per vehicle. Reducing the average by an additional 4 or 5 Mt would require major changes.

    The future VT LDV mix, as EVS, likely would have an average of about 30 – 35 Mt of CO2, because it would include full-size SUVs with AWD, which have more Mt of CO2, than the NISSAN Leaf S Plus, a compact SUV, without AWD.

    The minor additional metric ton of CO2 reduction could be achieved by going the EV route, but that would involve $billions, and be unaffordable by already struggling households and businesses. See “Electrify Everything”
    https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/poor-economics-of-electric-vehicles-in-new-england

  4. You mean all Vermonters will have to drive EVs and ride electric buses to save the world?
    Where would all the rare earth metals for batteries and electric motors? China? Russia?

    Governor and Senators Seeking More Electric Vehicles and Buses with COVID Money
    https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/electric-bus-systems-likely-not-cost-effective-in-vermont-at

    The energy priorities of New England governments are driven by a self-serving cabal of “break-their-will” RE zealots, because of excessive subsidies for wind, solar, etc. They have powerful allies on Wall Street, which is molding the minds of people by means of generous donations to universities and think tanks. Here is an example of the resulting double-speak:

    Vermont’s Governor: “Investing in more energy-efficient public transportation is important for our economy and environment,” the governor said. He added that the money is enabling the transportation agency to replace as many as 30 buses and fund energy-efficient projects.”
    http://www.truenorthreports.com/governor-and-senators-seeking-more-

    The Vermont House Energy/Environment Committee and the VT Transportation Department echo the same message, to “convince” legislators, people in the Governor’s Office, and Vermonters to buy expensive electric buses to deal with a minor pollution problem in a few urban areas in Vermont. Such an electric vehicle measure would be much more appropriate in the over-crowded Boston Area and the Connecticut Gold Coast.

    They urge Vermonters to buy electric buses at about:

    $750,000 – $1,000,000 per mass-transit bus, plus high-speed charging systems; a standard diesel mass-transit bus costs $380,000 – $420,000
    $330,000 – $375,000, per school bus, plus high-speed charging systems; a standard diesel/gasoline school bus costs about $100,000
    https://atlaspolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Electric-Buses-a

    COVID money for Electric Buses: The Governor and bureaucrats are throwing COVID money, meant for suffering people and businesses, into another climate-fighting black hole.

    Vermont has cold winters, and hills, and snow-covered roads, and dirt roads in rural areas; kWh/mile would be high.
    Those buses likely would need 4-wheel-drive, or all-wheel-drive in rural areas.

  5. Does this buffoon have ANY Conservative values left or is he now in complete lock-step with the progressive socialist totalitarians?

  6. billions given to third world cesspools to “help them clean up” yeah right,,,your hard earn taxpaying dollars at work here, don’t forget Vt used Dominion machines too,,,,what’s THAT tell ya?

  7. Dear ole Scott. With his kissing up to the Paris Climate Agreement, and is undertaken, that will solve all VT’s problems regarding climate change and global warming. The school kids won’t have to take time off from school to protest. Back to normal.

    Then Scott van go down as the greatest Governor in history. WOW such dedication to the people of VT. The commander-in-chief has our best interest for us. Does this mean we don’t have to wear masks now? I’;m sure he’ll solve that problem also. Does he walk on water?

  8. 1st Governor of the first colony of the United Nations, Vermont has another first.

    To think this is an actual press release from the governor!

    how many signatures are needed on that petition before the VtGOP does something?

    Or are we. In RINO we trust?

  9. Hey Phil, take off the mask and breath some air, your brain is being starved.

    How magnificent would have been to have John Klar win the governorship on a massive write in, or Kevin Hoyt as an independent. But no y’all had to vote for the rino because Zuckerdude would have been so much worse.

  10. Poor Vermont, it’s bad enough you have the ” Three Stooges ” in DC and now you
    have to deal with Flip Flop Phil jumping in on the ” Paris Climate Agreement ” like
    always Phil following the liberals ……….Outstanding.!!

    Maybe Phil needs to worry about Vermont, I can’t wait for the next election so we
    can vote this clown out, by the looks of him, he could use another scotch ………..

    Vermont’s Political leadership………pretty pathetic !!

  11. It’s difficult to reconcile this press release with the Governor’s veto of the Global Warming Solution Act….This statement seems to tell the Legislature that it did the right thing in overriding his veto.

    Then there is the the greatest challenge this country has ever faced in the ambitions of China to dominate the world economically, technologically, militarily and ideologically. China recently announced that it intends to double to triple the size of its economy in the next 15 years…….This will require a massive growth in energy consumption. Presently more than 50% of the power generated in China comes from burning cheap coal and low cost energy is critical to meeting its economic growth goals. Not only are they burning coal at home, they are also building coal fired power plants in third world countries around the globe.

    The Chinese government states that they will reach carbon neutrality by 2060 …….That’s about 30 years after the world is going to end according to Biden Climate Czar John Kerry and AOC.

    It is very difficult to understand what the United States is to gain by rejoining the Paris Accords and Gov. Scott’s enthusiasm for this move, especially when Chinese are not held to the anywhere near the same standards.

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