House committee revises H.125 to require statewide energy data reports, maps and gap analysis

The House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee reviewed a rewritten draft of H.125 on Feb. 28 that would require the Agency of Natural Resources to publish a report “on or before 12/15/2025 and annually thereafter” compiling data and indicators related to Vermont’s changing energy landscape and to map that information where relevant.

The report, as described to the committee by Legislative Counsel Michelle Jankowski, must be prepared “in consultation with relevant State agencies, including the Agency of Agriculture and Food and Markets, Department of Public Service, the Agency of Transportation, Department of Labor, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and the Department of Taxes.” Jankowski said the draft merges language the committee previously discussed with language Secretary Moore submitted and adds maps and an annual cadence to the reporting requirement.

Committee members focused on three central issues: the geographic resolution of the data (county versus broader regions), whether the report should include analysis in addition to raw data, and the specific data elements to be collected. Representative Sebelia urged the committee not to accept a statewide-only response and asked the bill to require reporting “by region or county or explain why the data cannot be reported by geography,” saying statewide-only data would…