Vermont
Vermont has made recent progress on climate and environmental justice policy, but historically has lagged in climate policy compared to other Northeastern states.
Legislative Profile
Governor: Phil Scott (R)
House: Democratic supermajority
Senate: Democratic supermajority
U.S. Climate Alliance Member
Key Resources
Vermont State Energy Profile — U.S. EIA
Vermont Climate Change Portal – Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Vermont Legal Profile — Lawyers for Good Government
Emissions Reduction Targets
By 2025:
26%
By 2030:
40%
By 2050:
80%
All targets relative to 1990 levels
2019 GHG Emissions By Sector (%)
- Commercial
- Electric
- Residential
- Industrial
- Transportation
- Agriculture
Source: EPA State Inventory Tool (SIT)
Use the + icons in each policy area below to explore climate policy that has been passed at the state level, with links to relevant legislation and trackers. Policies in gray have not yet been passed in this state.
Climate Governance & Equity
Climate Governance
Greenhouse Gas Targets
Emissions Reduction Target
26% by 2025 | 40% by 2030 | 80% by 2050 Relative to 1990 levels
Mandate Source
Mandatory – Act 153 – Vermont Global Warming Solutions Act of 2020 (2020)
Climate Action Plan
Climate Bureaucracy
Offices/Interagency Commissions/Task Forces
Non-Governmental Advisory Bodies
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Green Bank
Lead by Example
ACEEE Score – 1 out of 1 point**
Public Fleet ZEV Requirements
Equity
Environmental Justice Community Designation
Mandate Source
SB 148 (2022)
Definition
“Environmental justice focus population” is defined as any census block group in which the annual median household income is less than 80% of the State median household income, at least 6% of the population are people of color and Indigenous people, and/or at least 1% of households have limited English proficiency
Include race? Yes | Include income? Yes | Include pollution burden? No
State EJ Mapping Tools
SB 148 (2022) – Requires the Agency of Natural Resources to create an EJ mapping tool by January 2025
EJ Community Benefit Requirement
EJ Bureaucracy
EJ Advisory Bodies
Environmental Justice Advisory Council
EJ Government Staff
Interagency Environmental Justice Committee
ANR – Office of Civil Rights and Environmental Justice
**The ACEEE Energy Efficiency Scorecard analyzes the policies and programs states adopt to save energy in public sector buildings and transportation fleets. States can earn up to 1 point.
Adaptation & Resilience
Electricity
Renewables and Energy Storage
Greenhouse Gas Targets
Renewable Portfolio Standard
Distributed Generation/Solar Carve-out
SPOT Components – 5 out of 5*
Net Metering
SPOT Components – 9 out of 11*
Energy Storage Standard
SPOT Components – 2 out of 5*
Shared Renewables
SPOT Components – 5 out of 6*
Grid and Utility Reform
Clean Energy Plan
Grid Modernization Plan
The GridWise Alliance’s Grid Modernization Index (GMI) evaluates and ranks the status of grid modernization efforts across all 50 states and D.C.
50-state Ranking – 20th
Interconnection Standards
SPOT Components – 6 out of 6*
Utility Green Power Option
SPOT Components – 1 out of 6*
New Utility Business Model Proceeding
SPOT Components – 1 out of 5*
Carbon Pollution Pricing
*The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.
Buildings & Efficiency
Building Energy Codes
Residential Codes
SPOT Components – 5 out of 6*
Statewide code – 2018 IECC
Commercial Codes
SPOT Components – 4 out of 6*
Statewide code – 2018 IECC
Stretch or Reach Codes
*The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.
Efficiency Programs and Incentives
Weatherization Programs
SPOT Components – 3 out of 4*
Energy Auditing Programs
Retrocommissioning Programs
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
SPOT Components – 3 out of 10*
Energy Savings Performance Contracting
SPOT Components – 3 out of 5*
Standards and Market Mechanisms
Energy Efficiency Resource Standard
SPOT Components – 5 out of 5*
Building Performance Standard (BPS)
Appliance Performance Standard (APS)
9 V.S.A. § 2791, et seq. (2018)
Carbon Pollution Pricing
S.5 (2023) – Establishes a Clean Heat Standard, with declining carbon intensity of heating fuels
Buildings Data Disclosure
Transportation
Vehicle Standards and Incentives
Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) Standards
Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandates
EV Targets and Sales Requirements
Advanced Clean Cars II (2022) – By 2035: 100% of new passenger and light-duty vehicles sold in the state are electric vehicles
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle (MHDVs) Sales Standards
EV Sales Requirements
By 2035: 55% of Class 2b – 3 truck sales are zero emissions | 75% of Class 4 – 8 straight truck sales are zero emissions | 40% of truck tractor sales are zero-emissions.
Electric Vehicle Incentives
SPOT Components – 2 out of 5*
Charging Infrastructure Incentives
SPOT Components – 2 out of 5*
Carbon Pollution Pricing
Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
State Planning and Investment
Greenhouse Gas Targets
Decarbonization Plan
EV and EV Charging Infrastructure Plans
EV Transit Bus Deployment
The ACEEE Transportation Electrification Scorecard analyzes the level of investment and policies states adopt to procure electric transit buses. States can earn up to 6 points.
ACEEE Score – 1 out of 6 points
Bicycle Friendly State
The League of American Bicyclists’ State Report Cards evaluate and rank the safety and efficiency of active transportation systems across all 50 states.
50-state Ranking – 23rd
*The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.
Agriculture
Soil Health and Regenerative Agriculture Governance
Mandate Source
Act 83 (2019) / Act 129 (2020)
Task Force Portal or Action Plan
Payment for Ecosystem Services and Soil Health Working Group