Vermont rep talks clean energy legislation with citizens

About 12 community members met with Vermont Rep. Robert Forguites (D-Windsor 3-2) on Thursday, March 9 at the Springfield Town Library to discuss clean energy and current legislation.

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2017-03-11 / Front Page Vermont rep talks clean energy legislation with citizens By TORY JONES toryb@eagletimes.com Vermont Rep. Robert Forguites, D-Windsor 3-2, speaks with a dozen Springfield citizens on Thursday, March 9 at the Springfield Town Library about current clean energy legislation. — TORY JONES Vermont Rep. Robert Forguites, D-Windsor 3-2, speaks with a dozen Springfield citizens on Thursday, March 9 at the Springfield Town Library about current clean energy legislation. — TORY JONES SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — About 12 community members met with Vermont Rep. Robert Forguites (D-Windsor 3-2) on Thursday, March 9 at the Springfield Town Library to discuss clean energy and current legislation. Forguites, who lives in Springfield, serves on the Vermont House Committee on Energy and Technology (CET). The purpose of the informal gathering was to allow local residents to ask questions and talk informally about climate action, renewable energy, and current legislation in the House and Senate regarding energy. A major focus of the meeting was bill H.316 / S.51, which sets a goal that by the year 2050, 90 percent of Vermont’s total energy consumption be from renewable energy, according to Forguites. “This bill is a reinforcement of what has already been talked about and discussed,” he said. Interested community members gathered with Forguites in the Flinn Room to hear a summary of the bill, and to ask what the state is doing to support clean, renewable energy with low carbon emission. He noted that he was not there as a key speaker, but to talk about energy issues, answer questions or help clarify proposals, and to let residents share their thoughts. H.316, “An act relating to renewable energy goals for Vermont’s total energy consumption,” was sponsored by Vermont Rep. Mary Sullivan, D-Chittenden-6-5, and others. It was read for the first time on Feb. 17 and referred to the CET. Forguites said that 499 new bills have been written in the house, and 150 in the senate, in the past two months, as of last Friday afternoon. He formerly served on the Natural Resources Committee, but that was absolved, with the name transferring to the Fish and Wildlife Committee. Four members of the former Natural Resources Committee moved to the new CET, with eight people now serving on that committee, he said. The energy and technology committee has been looking at about 25 new incoming bills, he said. Forguites said some bills would call for common sense, citing one that proposes to fine store owners $50 for leaving their shop doors open if they are running the heat. That may be better accomplished at a local level on the one street in Burlington where it appears to be a problem, instead of spending government funds on passing that as a law or trying to enforce it, he said. However, the renewable energy bill, H.316, reinforces the need for conservation and renewable energy, Forguites said. “Energy is something that you are concerned with, and that all of us are concerned with,” he said. That bill is similar to others already passed, but with a few changes, including dates, he added. Forguites said that he guesses the bill will pass. The “crossover date,” or date that any bill in the House must be sent to the Senate and vice versa, is coming up on March 17, or it becomes less likely that it will pass, he said. Forguites also mentioned that some bills will change in framework and guidelines from the time they are introduced until they have reacher later stages. Forguites said on Thursday that he believed there were a number of people in the meeting room, especially seniors, who are in favor of the bill for the future of both the state and the country. Citizens at the meeting appeared to be in agreement with him, nodding and speaking in favor of the bill. “Right now, in Vermont, as independent as we are, about 50 percent of the electricity we use comes from out of state. And about 40 percent of it comes from Canada,” he said. Renewable energy would cover a large chunk of that need, he said. The topic also turned toward biomass and forestry products, Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) such as for solar fields, carbon tax, the term “renewable,” and wind power. One citizen said the term “renewable” is too ubiquitous and needs more definition within the bill to include “low-carbon.” Forguites said he would bring that request to the committee. When asked his gut feeling on wind power, Forguites said he is not opposed to it, depending on the circumstance. “It seems that wind, properly done, could be a good source of power,” he said. With large wind turbine projects, clear-cutting may take place up to a mile in each direction, with roads cleared for access. “The terrain is disrupted quite a bit,” he said. In such a case, if the clearcutting is not properly landscaped and on a hillside, it could lead to a lot of runoff, in addition to affecting local birds and bats, he said. At this time, he is not aware of any industrial-sized wind turbines being considered for the Springfield area, he said. The state is considering adding radar-controlled red warning lights for large turbines, similar to an airport runway, once new technology is more readily available, he said. One citizen mentioned that the forest industry is producing wood pellets to effectively use forest products with reduced emissions. The legislature has been talking about forest products and biomass, Forguites said. The answer is never simple, and “one industry affects another industry,” said Springfield resident Bob Kischko. Also, no one appears to have addressed the transportation issue, such as the diesel needed to transport forest products to and from towns. “They are real issues that affect communities and towns,” Kischko said. He also asked that Forguites “reach across the aisle” to some Republican counterparts and ask that they join him in attending some local caucuses on renewable energy. Brian Post of Springfield said that he has reduced the size of truck he uses at his business, and has saved $12,000 in annual business expenses due to reduced fuel consumption. “It affects us (the younger generation) greatly,” Post said. “It took me the engine in my truck blowing up,” to realize the bigger truck was costing him $18,000 a year in fuel, he said. Forguites said he will bring the comments and suggestions to the CET, which has the H.316 bill at the moment, and bring them up in the next discussion.