[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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",6278254,"mediaKeyId","2641606-0f0fdada8c25da757d1f6c6879df1c52","parentId",2641606,"title","Committee advances modest shift to efficiency priorities; debate over heating‑fuel seller registry timing","audioSeconds",1288,"startMs",6983829,"endMs",8272240,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641606-0f0fdada8c25da757d1f6c6879df1c52&start=6983&end=8272","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641606-0f0fdada8c25da757d1f6c6879df1c52/thumbnail_6983829.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6278254/Vermont/Committee-advances-modest-shift-to-efficiency-priorities-debate-over-heatingfuel-seller-registry-timing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278254-2e8bd6406bc0a8989897608e220b4fa8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169500&Signature=EvYSq~TFRBddVL5hw1dY9BfJPm03Zf1mRDSCUTNmB9Rdsi1XjriMWw7FVVhgN2QYSoMKIj1DbEzYR~DiWyyIbYDtRQfhgAzqIdrQ3xeAF6gZOq6uHy8APvI4d760C1icsoIOabfgxcN6R15rxIZjsg9kQKI0VdDw3ibGFbjV8~njMYxVk5Nibp~EYYH~lN6QokgodfSN3aL-d5TQ29~QJyJxzBqIU~wz4KJn4Ygfi1MhqcSlLrrSeITajWHeJnURx2LusY6bhn~kfamq~6LnQHsXO60B0uPrm1v0yvYQwBWRRZ8PQnmmptnFuZZVw5havsqJ3lf63JkPuKZw3rmvMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","VT Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy","date","2025-03-14T13:09:18Z","article","Energy‑efficiency advocates told the Natural Resources & Energy Committee on March 14 that S.65 would slightly shift the state’s efficiency priorities to emphasize greenhouse‑gas reductions while continuing to deliver customer savings and weatherization assistance.

Peter Wach, speaking for efficiency interests, said the bill would \"reaffirm your founding direction and reflect changing the energy policy landscape,\" and described the change as a modest tweak that would prioritize both affordability and climate action.

Legislative Council staff walked the committee through draft language and a set of proposed edits, focusing on a new heating‑fuel seller registry and related fuel‑sales reporting. The draft directs entities that sell heating fuel for bulk delivery in Vermont to register by June 30 each year and requires the commission to maintain and annually update the list; the bill also specifies categories of information to be reported (legal name, municipality, fuel types, and monthly gallons by fuel type).

Committee members and staff debated implementation details. Stakeholders proposed several changes: delay the registry’s operational start date until January 1, 2027, to allow the Public Service Department (PSD) and industry representatives time to design a practical data-collection process; change references from the Public Utility Commission to PSD; and clarify that the registry’s data may be used for greenhouse‑gas calculations, fuel‑sales verification, regional and municipal planning, and professional‑development and notification purposes.

Legislative Council and staff said a March 2026 report to the legislature would evaluate options and recommended best practices for collecting heating‑fuel data; committee members suggested the registry language should be informed by that report. The committee discussed whether to delay data collection, how to preserve continuity with existing datasets, and which agency should host the registry.

No formal vote to move S.65 was recorded at the meeting excerpt; committee members asked staff to incorporate the drafting edits and to continue consultation with PSD, industry representatives and stakeholders.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Natural Resources and Energy 2025-03-14 9:10 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Witnesses supported S.65’s modest mission change for efficiency programs and the creation of a heating-fuel seller registry; committee staff and stakeholders debated delaying the registry start to 2027 and whether the Public Service Department or Public Utility Commission should maintain it.","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":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6278263,"Debate over S.100: whether it will satisfy EPA demands after Vermont CAFO de‑delegation findings",6021,446939,6468705,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641606-0f0fdada8c25da757d1f6c6879df1c52&start=446&end=6468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641606-0f0fdada8c25da757d1f6c6879df1c52/thumbnail_446939.jpg","/articles/6278263/Vermont/Debate-over-S100-whether-it-will-satisfy-EPA-demands-after-Vermont-CAFO-dedelegation-findings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278263-6e06a39630751ec767f0f1d2a03925cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169500&Signature=FMcgavQik5hhrYeerEs2CqYS4WLR9TsgLIUuSstpNRmVDbqaUwGQHAzj4GA72ov9fqk3rjCEhxc~~ZVh3clf3DT~WSDRaYGPRmfP7E1wZGS2uS8lsdUcR91PZqcAT0ZgcyfFxCJM~kz3881nEg7Cf-pcepPN5wpMYy-jdlljbWBag~F5MWMKRcLnUDEojPJiH6wueMnniN6~YceOpI7wZagJ0HLMBqYuNK9EjfUWFvYLDaFF5lL0NrUzMeFquq2K5x3fUGQjaoxOE22sWlKfFg~Fi4pyozS6PISBm9fg3XJL~KmeywwHwQFuvUuYy6OkMVKl5uQxsr4430i-xiJglQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Scott Sanderson, director of the Conservation Law Foundation’s Farm and Food Program, told the Natural Resources & Energy Committee on March 14 that S.100 does not, in his view, resolve the problems EPA identified in its September 2024 findings and could leave the state vulnerable to partial de‑delegation of Clean Water Act authority.

Sanderson summarized EPA’s conclusion that Vermont’s divided regulatory structure—where the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) controls point-source permitting and the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (AAFM) oversees many farm inspections and required agricultural practices—has impeded adequate monitoring and enforcement. He said EPA cited inadequate inspections, lack of enforcement, permitting gaps on discharging CAFOs, and manure-management failures as primary concerns.

\"Mostly my understanding is that it maintains the status quo, including split jurisdiction between ANR and AAFM,\" Sanderson said of S.100, adding that the bill relies on a new memorandum-like agreement between agencies and does not clearly create objective, predictable criteria for when an NPDES (Clean Water Act) permit is required.

Secretary of Natural Resources Julie Moore said ANR has been working with EPA through a corrective action process that began after a March 2022 petition and a two-year EPA investigation. Moore said ANR submitted a draft corrective action plan and received EPA feedback asking for clearer consolidation of authority in ANR, stronger resourcing, and more detailed milestones. \"S.100 contains the very essential changes that we feel strongly are needed this session in order to enable the work we need to do to respond to EPA and the petitioners,\" she said.

Legislative counsel and ANR staff walked the committee through statutory language in S.100 that would add federal permitting terms to state law, define concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), give the ANR secretary access to nutrient management plans, and require ANR to issue general CAFO permits and update rules. The bill also requires a stakeholder process and a series of reports, including an assessment due in December 2026 of long-term staffing and resource needs.

Sanderson contrasted S.100 with H.146, a House bill that would consolidate agricultural water-quality authority in ANR, require regular inspections of jurisdictional farms, and shift state permits to mandatory NPDES permits for large and medium farms over a 3.5‑year transition. He argued H.146 aligns more directly with EPA’s requests for consolidated authority, regular inspections, and clearer permitting criteria.

ANR officials acknowledged resource constraints and said the governor’s recommended budget includes two positions and some contract resources to begin bolstering ANR’s CAFO program; they also said they plan to start hiring within existing authority and to inspect several medium and large farms in the coming field season. ANR staff emphasized that the evolving federal definition of \"waters of the United States\" complicates jurisdictional clarity and urged stakeholder engagement with farmers and agricultural representatives before finalizing statutory language.

No formal committee vote on S.100 was recorded during the session. Committee members asked for further discussion and indicated the bill would be part of an ongoing, iterative process with EPA and with the House and Senate agriculture bills.","Conservation advocates told the Natural Resources & Energy Committee that S.100 largely preserves split authority between ANR and the Agency of Agriculture, potentially falling short of EPA expectations; ANR officials said S.100 provides essential statutory groundwork while they finalize an updated corrective action plan to EPA.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6278268,"Senate transportation members push priority funding for covered salt and sand sheds",333,43685,377395,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641606-0f0fdada8c25da757d1f6c6879df1c52&start=43&end=377","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641606-0f0fdada8c25da757d1f6c6879df1c52/thumbnail_43685.jpg","/articles/6278268/Vermont/Senate-transportation-members-push-priority-funding-for-covered-salt-and-sand-sheds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278268-372c6c7e91696900b6b702acc2c40811/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169500&Signature=Hl9XaQCy6ATFuwp-D96vjcsY1cGVtRw3Cvv0zMoZbCnr~WzAXGAXedmetctK8bcGZh-lR0kvs62VEtQsXtaMIReGC8NDtv-yBueRWGvuGVhfEAxxt7RfWeMYjMym43qqWqmf2ZipU9P9RW5VwUEE9AyJUkrBWAMnSkgcd9h2q17Uzf-zTBYLm7nF4hFABb1UyEDx8uNzE4ZJMdlEaXzpk9Zl-CQ33M0WL3H42ZY4-fps4jOjjuv7DdkZRicEGO4I4L~5qVOaOanq5gY0CwZDwgX5xG73Yf8DuuFY-D1ukSpX01WUblR1FG65BGwc--IRXIe5DqN5hmQ3D61w5HAjtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Transportation Committee Chair Rich Westman told the Natural Resources & Energy Committee on March 14 that transportation committee members will offer an amendment to prioritize funding for covering municipal salt and sand stockpiles.

Westman said the amendment would ask the Agency of Natural Resources to make covering salt and sand sheds a priority in its first-year funding decisions and to return in a year with statewide data and a recommendation on what annual appropriation would be needed to meet the coverage timelines in the bill.

The amendment responds to data ANR supplied about the Lake Champlain watershed: \"roughly two thirds of all of the salt and sand piles were covered within the Champlain Watershed,\" Westman said, adding ANR did not provide comparable figures for the rest of the state. He told the committee that small and medium-sized towns often lack the funds to pay for the structures and that many transportation programs face flat funding or cuts in the current budget.

Westman and others said the transportation committee’s amendment is intended to create a funding pathway for smaller towns rather than impose an unfunded mandate. \"Our amendment,\" he said, \"instruct[s ANR] in the first year ... to make covering salt and sand sheds a priority, and coming back in a year to us and giving us the full picture of what's covered and what's not around the whole state with a report back to us about that and a recommendation on what they feel each year the appropriation should be.\" Committee members present expressed no formal objections during the discussion.

The committee noted the amendment will be offered by five members of the Senate Transportation Committee and that the issue will not return to Natural Resources & Energy for further action unless required. No formal vote or ordinance language was recorded during the meeting; the exchange focused on framing the amendment and its intent.

Committee members asked staff to coordinate with ANR and transportation committee leadership as the amendment is finalized. The committee did not set a final timetable for the amendment’s filing or for the ANR report; Westman said the amendment envisions a one-year follow-up.

Context: The change aims to address EPA and state-level water-quality and road maintenance considerations by reducing direct exposure of salt and sand piles to precipitation and runoff. The committee flagged that transportation bond constraints and cuts to town assistance programs make up-front construction costs a major barrier in smaller municipalities.

No formal vote was taken on the amendment during the Natural Resources & Energy meeting; members signaled general agreement to the approach and asked staff to coordinate legislative language and stakeholder outreach.","Senate Transportation Chair Rich Westman told the Natural Resources & Energy Committee an amendment would prioritize funding for covering municipal salt and sand piles and require a one-year ANR report on statewide coverage and recommended appropriations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances modest shift to efficiency priorities; debate over heating‑fuel seller registry timing

Debate over S.100: whether it will satisfy EPA demands after Vermont CAFO de‑delegation findings

Senate transportation members push priority funding for covered salt and sand sheds