(by Marshall Bornemann, Vermont Energy Partnership, Montpelier, Vt - June 30, 2010)
Power and Planning for Tomorrow
To the editor:
Congratulations to Goddard College for receiving a $100,000 Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund (VCEDF) grant to install biomass heating for 22 buildings, and a similar $233,000 grant for the VCFA in Montpelier to retrofit 10 buildings and to build an insulated roof. Energy efficiency is an important part of the state power portfolio as we seek to reduce carbon fuel dependency.
VCEDF has funded countless similar projects across Vermont in recent years. Although one-time federal stimulus dollars paid for this latest round of projects, historically they have been funded mostly by Vermont Yankee. Vermont’s largest instate electricity generator has provided $19,500,000 in “seed money” for community-based energy projects and is scheduled to provide millions more in future years. According to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Vermont Yankee is a zero-carbon emitter and one of the main reasons why Vermont has the smallest carbon footprint for electricity production in the United States.
With these unique benefits in mind, concerned Vermonters should encourage utilities and Vermont Yankee’s owners to reach a power deal that gives us the best of both worlds: protection of our interests re: oversight and decommissioning, and Vermont Yankee’s low-carbon, low-cost electricity and support for local green energy. The VCEDF is living proof that small-scale green energy and baseload nuclear power can work together towards a low-carbon energy future.
