Vermont lawmakers hear plan to scale weatherization; officials warn workforce and funding shortfalls threaten 120,000‑home goal

At a meeting of the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee, conveners and program leaders outlined a statewide push to expand home weatherization and said a shortage of trained workers and a roughly $600 million funding gap put an ambitious “weatherize 120,000 homes by the end of the decade” target at risk. Cara Robichek, deputy director and network manager at Energy Action Network, and Richard Fazy, principal at Energy Futures Group, described current program activity and financing; Will Schwartz, workforce development manager at Efficiency Vermont, laid out workforce training and retention challenges.

The coalition’s work matters because weatherization reduces household energy bills, lowers greenhouse‑gas emissions and improves the effectiveness of home electrification, the witnesses said. "We mobilized in 2021 for this ambitious goal of weatherizing 120,000 homes by the end of the decade," Robichek said. Committee members and presenters emphasized the equity need to prioritize low‑ and moderate‑income residents and rental housing.

Committee members were shown state tracking data and program performance. Fazy said the state has weatherized roughly 40,000 homes to date and that current annual delivery runs roughly 2,000–2,500 homes a year. He said the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and a multifamily program known as 3E Thermal account for about half of current annual activity (roughly 1,300–1,400 housing units a year), while Efficiency Vermont, Vermont Gas and Burlington Electric Department supply the remainder; Efficiency Vermont’s efforts account for roughly 700–800 homes a year and Vermont Gas about 300–400 in its territory.

Those delivery rates fall far short of the ramp needed, Fazy said: "To meet that 120,000 goal, we're looking at something like $600,000,000," he said, noting the work is driven by incentives and available workforce.

Will Schwartz described workforce needs and barriers across four workforce pillars: attraction and recruitment, education and training, retention and business growth. "If your learners aren't coming out with the necessary competencies needed on the job site, education and training might need improvement," Schwartz said. He told the committee that training pathways exist—from high school and Career and Technical Education programs to Building Performance Institute (BPI) certifications—but that completion, local access to training, classroom capacity and on‑the‑job learning are chronic constraints.

Officials and contractors told lawmakers that entry training can range from intensive short “boot camp” courses to longer on‑the‑job apprenticeships. Presenters said a career‑technical pathway plus targeted certification is generally fastest: a CTE graduate can reach an entry level suitable for many weatherization jobs in roughly three months of focused post‑secondary or employer‑supported training, with additional time for hands‑on experience and BPI building analyst technician certification.

The committee heard examples of local initiatives and supports: a DOE‑funded training center (the Vermont Innovation, Efficiency and Weatherization or VUE Center) is being established in Barre and is expected to begin in‑person work this summer after launching online materials; Efficiency Vermont is funding employer training supports through 2026; and examples of mortgage or loan pilots exist where long‑term financing was bundled with weatherization and efficiency upgrades.

Committee members asked about data capture (do‑it‑yourself projects are not counted), how to better reach rental housing, and whether past weatherization work needs redoing; presenters said some older jobs could benefit from follow‑up, but WAP prioritization typically directs funds first to households that have not previously been served. Members requested follow‑up materials on training curricula and certification pathways; Will Schwartz offered to provide a short summary and links to BPI and related resources.

No formal votes were taken; the session consisted of testimony and committee questions. Presenters urged additional and sustained funding, workforce training investments, and policies that support rental building upgrades and contractor capacity.

Looking ahead, witnesses asked the committee to consider sustained incentive funding and investments in training and contractor supports to close the delivery and workforce gaps that would be required to reach the coalition’s 120,000‑home goal.