Witnesses tell Natural Resources & Energy committee S.65 is a limited, cost‑focused update to state energy-efficiency law

S.65, a draft bill meant to reorganize elements of Vermont’s efficiency statute and fold electric and thermal efficiency budgets, drew testimony from program administrators who said the measure is a modest step to prioritize greenhouse‑gas reductions while maintaining consumer protections.

Peter Walk, a witness who identified himself at the hearing, told the Senate Natural Resources & Energy committee that “S.65 is a modest but important step forward” that can be implemented without changing the energy efficiency charge (EEC) collection mechanism or raising rates directly.

Walk told the committee the bill should explicitly preserve least‑cost planning language and avoid an explicit statutory tie to the Global Warming Solutions Act. He recommended striking a direct citation in the draft to “10 BSA 5 78” (as phrased in testimony) and instead using broader…