[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6281805,"mediaKeyId","2602354-5359664c28c827afc2dbbcdb1a1bff92","parentId",2602354,"title","Senate committee reviews S.65 rewrite that alters efficiency-utility rules, restores biomass incentives and sets equity spending target","audioSeconds",888,"startMs",3075000,"endMs",2187000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2602354-5359664c28c827afc2dbbcdb1a1bff92&start=3075&end=2187","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2602354-5359664c28c827afc2dbbcdb1a1bff92/thumbnail_3075000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6281805/Vermont/Senate-committee-reviews-S65-rewrite-that-alters-efficiency-utility-rules-restores-biomass-incentives-and-sets-equity-spending-target","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6281805-f66e57dbc412f152a062964cb28389a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1776615303&Signature=ZJfFEjKhj6QISE-TBxF0D6WIfvahe3yW9wHDhk1nVCsOHMEs5hBExi7ovzKAtvpRpVFcmmoRL3S8PwvHAyMS6m3334Txn2kI8w1~iD~IR78GJkZcd2ZUI0509zIfJzLosKnIFkmUUXFeLjily21tmDefzi6hoTwgYfAbwJ38Van5nmcDOm1PXl9HVeb2FksGfPZyjo3N5bUR~a~RywNTCWXyyqVpafOQylF3IdVxwx7h66Odrf1oxjn0m0ABrjH43m6N9EWCYoPwItxXuf5cGfCP2I8pdopbaLRN85Ic62tAmjWNDWWmuGTH5Xy~nok0JX7E931fCgw-Y1Da7koMOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","VT Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy","date","2025-03-13T13:03:19Z","article","A Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee meeting on March 13 examined draft 4.3 of S.65, a rewrite that modifies how the state’s efficiency-utility programs would be funded and governed and reinstates a statutory incentive for high-efficiency biomass heating systems.

The committee opened the discussion with Ellen, legislative counsel, noting the draft label and the changes highlighted from the prior day: \"the committee to strike all amendment to S.65. It is today's draft is draft 4.3, dated March 13 at 08:43AM. The changes from yesterday's draft are highlighted in yellow,\" she said. Ellen walked members through edits to the clean heat standard provisions and the efficiency-utility sections.

The draft restores a provision that requires an appointed entity delivering services using certain ISO New England forward capacity revenues to “give priority to incentives for the installation of high efficiency biomass heating systems” and establishes a goal that incentives equal 25% of installed cost. The draft also explicitly states that providing an incentive for a biomass heating system “shall not be contingent on the making of other energy efficiency improvements at the property.” Committee counsel said that language previously existed in statute but was left out in an earlier rewrite and is now being reinserted.

The draft also reorganizes how the Public Utility Commission is to set a budget for the appointed efficiency entity. The committee counsel summarized the change as replacing a prior direction about setting an efficiency charge with instructions that the commission should \"establish an appropriate budget for the appointed entity using the efficiency fund,\" consider all revenue sources and limitations on electric revenues, and in reviewing plans \"approve a budget that is consistent with the principles of least cost integrated planning\" and that shows cost-effectiveness using the approved societal cost-benefit test.

Committee members discussed the intent and clarity of the edits. Senator Hardy said the new language clarifies the objective of lowering energy costs for low-income households: \"the point that was made yesterday of reducing the cost of energy for low income people and being explicit about it.\" The draft adds an equity provision requiring that \"not less than 25% of the annual budget shall be targeted for residential services for customers with low to moderate income,\" and specifically lists weatherization and other efficiency measures as included services.

Representatives of the Public Utility Commission voiced concern about the speed and scope of late edits. Ed McNamara, who identified himself at the hearing as the commission chair, said the bill raised \"significant policy concerns\" and that he had seen the changes only that morning, calling the process \"haphazard\" and urging more time to evaluate changes affecting roughly $50 million a year in efficiency funding streams.

Committee members said they would continue editing the draft and were not expected to vote it out the same day. Chair Watson signaled more work to come: the committee will circulate further edits, consider an intent paragraph for the registry portion, and review the PUC’s feedback on the societal cost-benefit language.

Ending: The committee paused to gather suggested edits from witnesses and members and said it expects further revisions before a likely vote the next day. The discussion left open several policy decisions — notably which state agency should administer a heating-fuel dealer registry and how the efficiency utility budget tests will be applied — and stakeholders including the PUC and industry asked for more time and specific red-line language before the committee proceeds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Natural Resources and Energy 2025-03-13 9:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","A Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee meeting on March 13 examined draft 4.3 of S.65, a rewrite that modifies how the state’s efficiency-utility programs would be funded and governed and reinstates a statutory incentive for high-efficiency biomass heating systems.","taxTitle","Natural Resources & Energy, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",48480,"location","Vermont","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6281800,"Committee debates new heating‑fuel seller registry, tax reporting and data-sharing in S.65 draft",0,2932000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2602354-5359664c28c827afc2dbbcdb1a1bff92&start=2932&end=2932","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2602354-5359664c28c827afc2dbbcdb1a1bff92/thumbnail_2932000.jpg","/articles/6281800/Vermont/Committee-debates-new-heatingfuel-seller-registry-tax-reporting-and-data-sharing-in-S65-draft","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6281800-6df31160e76dbcafdae1b287fcee8c8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776615303&Signature=Df7rFmbFqFrMrWOHepflJdki8bN3fGSbmTMY~5LYY6q48RAfj~1Nb-FiNCq~fJcZMPeV~rR3fdQxFOeqk0Um~Pxl4TvKWaR4Ypt6yviiDPAyJyIYQWGse2V2mvr1OCrETWl3N1kZMt3Axa0nmuhcA1TDWzNT-rQGRqHZK239RblwaUXR9NfZ6kxQYUkzwpODUj~8Uk29DgrGPJpdaIuj3HocSwWGux6EWqQJn35O6q0OsiHUk4CjLnjl~f~VhiOIfSSlITsVM8Q7pxx0ZDIZO0gL7wE1Ie3zb5PIw7HvoGfTd30BHbLwdCr~03utPVw9bfp2QGy7j0-N4iItUThb3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee on March 13 reviewed new registry and reporting language in draft 4.3 of S.65 that would require entities that sell heating fuel for bulk delivery in Vermont to register annually with the Public Utility Commission and would ask the Tax Department and the PUC to produce two separate reports on fuel volumes and data collection methods.

Ellen, legislative counsel, summarized the new registry language: \"starting on line 13 on page 19, each entity that sells heating fuel in Vermont shall register annually by June 30 of each year with the commission,\" and she described required registration fields including legal name, doing-business-as name, municipality and state, types of heating fuel sold, and the gallons of each type of heating fuel sold in the calendar year.

Rebecca Samaroff, deputy commissioner of the Tax Department, described the Tax Department’s fuel tax form and the monthly/annual aggregates the department can provide from existing returns. She said the department began collecting volume information by fuel type in July 2023 and can provide aggregated monthly tables of filers and gallons delivered by fuel type; she also said small categories (natural gas, coal) may be excluded from public tables to comply with confidentiality rules. \"We were happy to do\" the added breakout of fields, she told the committee, and said that the department typically shares aggregate information with other government agencies subject to confidentiality protections.

Industry witnesses warned the registry and the tax-derived dataset capture different measures and may not match. An industry witness representing fuel dealers told the committee the tax forms measure gallons sold to end users while the existing PUC registry historically counts volume as reported on transfers and resale events; \"the registry is broken. It's collecting the wrong dataset,\" the witness said, cautioning the committee that the two datasets \"are not going to match up\" unless statute is aligned to require bulk, end-user delivery reporting.

Committee counsel and members discussed an exemption that had appeared in earlier drafts for sales of under five gallons. Counsel said the committee intended to change that exemption to focus the requirement on bulk deliveries rather than small packaged sales. The draft also includes language that would allow the tax commissioner \"in the commissioner's discretion\" to disclose return information to the PUC and the Department of Public Service \"for the purposes of automatic compliance with the heating fuel seller registry,\" subject to confidentiality requirements.

Senators asked about whether it would be appropriate to publish names of dealers. Samaroff said publishing names of taxpayers would be \"pretty unprecedented\" and that disclosure of names is typically done only when the legislature compels such publication; she emphasized that when the department shares granular data with another agency it does so under a data‑sharing agreement that references the department’s confidentiality provisions and penalties for unauthorized disclosure.

Committee members and witnesses agreed the registry could serve multiple purposes — compliance and planning — but they differed on which agency is the correct home for registration and data collection. Several committee members asked industry to provide red-line language proposing statutory wording that would ensure the registry captures bulk end-user deliveries (citing Title 33 chapter language currently used for fuel-tax definitions) and noted the committee would continue editing the bill before a potential vote the next day.

Ending: The committee did not vote. Lawmakers requested additional red-line edits from industry and planned follow-up with the Tax Department and PUC about confidentiality and the precise fields and exemptions to include in a registry and the two required reports; the outcome of those edits will determine how the two datasets can be reconciled for planning and compliance purposes.","S.65 draft 4.3 would require annual registration of entities that sell heating fuel in Vermont, set registration data fields, and direct the Tax Department and Public Utility Commission to exchange information for a registry and two reports. Witnesses and industry raised concerns about dataset mismatches and confidentiality. No vote was taken.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate committee reviews S.65 rewrite that alters efficiency-utility rules, restores biomass incentives and sets equity spending target

Committee debates new heating‑fuel seller registry, tax reporting and data-sharing in S.65 draft