Vermont H 601: An act relating to declaring Lake Memphremagog to be a lake in crisis

Bill Text

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VT LEG #386172 v.2
H.601 1
Introduced by Representatives McCoy of Poultney and Southworth of Walden 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Public service; energy; renewable energy; clean energy; nuclear 5
energy; nuclear storage 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to change the 7
Renewable Energy Standard to the Clean Energy Standard by allowing zero 8
emission energy to count as part of the Standard. It would also make changes 9
to the nuclear storage at the former Vermont Yankee site. 10
An act relating to the Clean Energy Standard 11
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
Sec. 1. 30 V.S.A. § 202b is amended to read: 13
§ 202b. STATE COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY PLAN 14
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(e) The Commissioner of Public Service (Commissioner) shall file an 16
annual report on progress in meeting the goals of the Plan. The report shall 17
address each of the following sectors of energy consumption in the State: 18
electricity, nonelectric fuels for thermal purposes, and transportation. In 19
preparing the report, the Commissioner shall consult with the Secretaries of 20

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VT LEG #386172 v.2
Administration, of Agriculture, Food and Markets, of Natural Resources, and 1
of Transportation and the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services. 2
* * * 3
(3) For each sector, the report shall provide: 4
(A) In millions of British thermal units (MMBTUs) for For the most 5
recent calendar year for which data are available, the total amount of energy 6
consumed, the amount of clean and renewable energy consumed, and the 7
percentage of clean and renewable energy consumed. For the electricity 8
sector, the report shall also state the amounts in megawatt hours (MWH) of 9
retail sales and load for Vermont as well as for each retail electricity provider 10
and the Vermont and New England summer and winter peak electric demand, 11
including the hour and day of peak demand. 12
(B) Projections of the energy reductions and shift to clean and 13
renewable energy expected to occur under existing policies, technologies, and 14
markets. The most recent available data shall be used to inform these 15
projections and shall be provided as a supplement to the data described in 16
subdivision (A) of this subdivision (3). 17
(C) Recommendations of policies to further the clean and renewable 18
energy requirements and goals set forth in statute and the Plan, along with an 19
evaluation of the relative cost-effectiveness and equity-related impacts of 20
different policy approaches. 21

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VT LEG #386172 v.2
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(7) The report shall include the following information on progress 2
toward meeting the Renewable Clean Energy Standard (RES CES): 3
(A) An assessment of the costs and benefits of the RES CES based 4
on the most current available data, including rate and economic impacts, 5
customer savings, technology deployment, greenhouse gas emission reductions 6
achieved both relative to 10 V.S.A § 578 requirements and societally, fuel 7
price stability, effect on transmission and distribution upgrade costs, and any 8
recommended changes based on this assessment. 9
(i) For the most recent calendar year for which data is available, 10
each retail electricity provider’s retail sales and total load, in MWh; required 11
amounts of clean and renewable energy for each category of the RES CES as 12
set forth in section 8005 of this title; and amounts of clean and renewable 13
energy and tradeable clean and renewable energy credits eligible to satisfy the 14
requirements of sections 8004 and 8005 of this title actually owned by the 15
Vermont retail electricity providers, expressed as a percentage of retail sales 16
and total load MWh purchases made by Vermont retail electricity providers to 17
meet demand. 18
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(iv) The report shall assess how costs and benefits of the RES 20
CES are being distributed across State, to the extent possible given available 21

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data, by retail electricity service territory, municipality, and environmental 1
justice focus populations, as defined by 3 V.S.A. § 6002. Such an assessment 2
shall consider metrics to monitor affordability of electric rates. 3
(B) Projections, looking at least 10 years ahead, of the impacts of the 4
RES CES on electric utility rates, total energy consumption, fossil fuel 5
consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. 6
(i) The Department shall consider at least three scenarios based on 7
high, mid-range, and low energy price forecasts. 8
(ii) The Department shall provide an opportunity for public comment 9
on the model during its development and make the model and associated 10
documents available on the Department’s website. 11
(iii) The Department shall project, for the State, the impact of the RES 12
in each of the following areas: electric u