So here's a conundrum -
#Vermont is likely to have a new, aggressive renewable energy requirement on the books soon, pushing my home state to 100% renewable energy with a significant in-state generation component.
Super exciting, right?
And as a community solar developer with over 120 projects under our belts, mostly in the Green Mountain State, Green Lantern Solar knows that development scale means a LOT to Vermonters.
I'm 100% supportive of small-scale, in-state generation that is part of the circular local regenerative economy.
And yet there is some 100MW of large (>20MWac) scale solar currently being proposed by big out-of-state companies that are going to wheel the power OUT of Vermont to utilities in Massachusettts and Connecticut so those companies can meet their own states' renewable goals.
The VT PUC has approved similarly situated large generation facilities located in Vermont in the past under the rationale that Vermonters benefit from the regional generation of renewable energy (which is per se true, but a pretty slim argument nonetheless).
So what will Vermont do to encourage private investment by local developers to build projects here in Vermont, that actually serve Vermonters, at a scale that makes sense? What if anything will Vermont do to incentivize dual use #agrivoltaics projects and #brownfield redevelopment?
That all remains to be seen, and I'm cautiously optimistic despite the Scott Administration's failure to fully embrace renewables despite a clear mandate to do so.
Time for the Executive branch in Vermont to lead, follow or get out of the way.
