Nearly three years ago, Vermont passed a landmark law that aimed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by shifting residents away from using fossil fuels to heat their homes and businesses. Last month, that plan officially died before ever being put into action — and the path toward cleaner heating in the state is murkier than ever.
In May 2023, Vermont legislators passed the Affordable Heat Act, which is widely considered the first law to require the development of a statewide clean heat standard to lower emissions from heating sources. But after years of contentious debate and recent inaction from lawmakers, regulators closed the case in February, possibly for good.
More than one-third of Vermonters rely on furnaces and boilers fueled by oil — one of the dirtiest and most expensive home-heating sources — and about another 20 percent primarily use propane. Though the clean heat standard did not mandate a switch to electric heat pumps, the policy would likely have spurred greater adoption of the appliances, which are cleaner and cheape... Read more
