Despathy: S.5 is a ‘gut punch to Vermont’
S.5 proponents now want to make everyone pay — literally and figuratively. That is the bottom line and it will undoubtedly bring destruction. We must see this for what it really is: a gut punch to Vermont.
Senator’s story highlights fatal flaw in Global Warming Solutions Act
Maybe Sen. Westman is better off leaving his $22,000 system sitting in the yard. If the clean heat standard becomes law, many Vermonters will be pushed into buying equipment that they can’t afford, might not be able to have installed, and, if it is installed, may not even work to keep them warm in winter.
McClaughry: Answers to 12 questions about the Affordable Heat Act
The (misnamed) Affordable Heat Act (S.5) is on its way to the Senate floor. As the likely consequences of this bill become more widely known, a multitude of questions have been raised.
Radio show host calls out bias in Senate Energy Committee over clean heat standard
Sen. Anne Watson, D-Chittenden, appeared on the “Morning Drive” radio show with host Kurt Wright on to discuss the Affordable Heat Act — and struggled to explain how the legislation would help Vermonters.
Senator says ‘don’t slop lies’ about the clean heat standard
Continuing with Sen. Starr’s theme, I have recreated Sen. Bray’s Top 10 list from his verbal testimony so voters can see just how manipulative politicians and activists selling this ideologically driven legislation have been.
Senators are getting an earful from constituents about the ‘Unaffordable’ Heat Act
Committee Chair Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, told the presenters of the bill, Sens. Chris Bray, D-Addison, and Anne Watson, D-Washington, that she and others have “been the beneficiaries of a lot of communications — many, many communications — and phone calls.”
Vermont’s social equity director: Make sure carbon-usage penalties are ‘high enough’
Last Friday, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy met with Xusana Davis, Vermont’s executive director of racial equity, on how racial equity themes play into energy policy as they work through the Affordable Heat Act.
Roper: Epiphany in Vermont Climate Council: The Climate Action Plan isn’t realistic
There is no chance that this transition occurs quickly and efficiently due to the lack of a labor force. The old heart will be removed, but no surgeon is on call to put the new one in. The patient will die on the table — or more literally by freezing to death in their home one cold winter night.
Rep. Galfetti: Time to call your lawmakers and say vote no on S.5
Provided Gov. Scott vetoes the legislation, a coalition of Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Progressives will dig in at our Alamo and make one last stand to prevent this short sighted and poorly engineered legislation from becoming law.
Campaign for Vermont: Better solutions than carbon-pricing
Campaign for Vermont is calling on lawmakers to rethink their policy approach to reducing carbon emissions from home heating. There are a number of things that we could do to reduce or offset carbon emissions from home heating systems.
Matt Krauss: Is Rube Goldberg owed an apology?
Senator McCormack and other legislators may end up owing a public apology to Mr. Goldberg for attempting to trade on his good name and his complex functioning creations by equating their efforts with his successful ones.
The Affordable Heat Act offers no savings — ever
This $5 billion cost to provide weatherization, heat pumps, and heat pump water heaters, will mostly be borne by low and moderate income Vermonters. The Affordable Heat act will be the largest and most expensive social program ever paid for by Vermonters.