Burlington Electric details 2030 net‑zero roadmap, defends McNeil wood‑chip plant and seeks funds for EV chargers

Darren Springer, general manager of the Burlington Electric Department, told the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee that Burlington aims to meet an ambitious 2030 net‑zero energy goal and is seeking additional funding and pilot projects to expand charging, storage and electrification programs.

Springer said Burlington Electric, “We are the third largest electric utility in the state,” and described a generation mix that includes roughly one‑third wood chips (from Burlington’s half share of the McNeil wood‑chip plant), more than one‑third hydro, solar and three wind contracts in the region, plus a rarely used gas peaker that produced 472 megawatt‑hours in the most recent reporting year. He added that Burlington “was the first city in the country to be 100% renewable in 2014.”

The Burlington presentation summarized recent progress and near‑term plans: city greenhouse gas emissions are down about 18.2% between 2018 and 2023 in the building and ground‑transportation sectors; the utility has helped put more than 2,900 heat pumps in city homes; income‑qualified customers receive a 12.5% bill discount under a PUC‑authorized program; and the utility now auto‑enrolls eligible customers to expand participation. Springer said the utility has pursued electrification incentives through its Tier‑3 Renewable Energy Standard funds and runs a suite of pilots for on‑street EV chargers, renter‑friendly charging options, battery devices that plug into ordinary outlets, and a plan to enroll customers in a $5 monthly bill‑credit program in exchange for demand‑management controls on heat pumps.

On finance and grid capacity, Springer reviewed the utility’s use of voter‑authorized revenue bonds to fund capital work. Voters approved a $20 million “net‑zero energy” revenue bond in late 2021; the bond was issued in April 2022 and Springfield said about $13 million has been spent so far. The city also authorized a second $20 million bond in November (approved by nearly 80% of voters) that would expand the distribution grid’s headroom from the mid‑70s megawatts to roughly 90 megawatts by the end of the decade to accommodate more EVs, heat pumps and bus electrification.

Springer described a recent federal competitive award — a roughly $4.85 million grant for EV charging — as currently uncertain because of changes at the federal level and said the utility is in a temporary holding pattern while details are resolved. He also described a $21 per kilowatt‑hour public‑charging tariff and a planned off‑peak public rate of about 13¢ per kWh for overnight charging; private or dealer‑owned chargers can have different arrangements.

On the McNeil wood‑chip plant, Springer defended the facility’s role in reliability and customer value. He said McNeil is Burlington’s largest in‑state generator (about 50 MW) and asserted that “McNeil can run the entire city of Burlington on a physical basis if we ever needed it to.” He said the plant’s half share has produced net value to ratepayers in prior years when operations and capacity payments are counted, and that the utility is pursuing efficiency upgrades (including a wood‑chip dryer and battery storage tests), a planned renewable‑diesel test for the city’s gas turbine peaker, and discussions with joint owners about possible operational changes or ownership adjustments.

Springer emphasized the utility’s long‑term goal to replace fossil‑fuel reliance with more wind, solar and batteries, but said that alternative portfolios to replicate McNeil’s dispatchable reliability would be substantially more costly and in some cases exceed available local resource potential. He described wood supply arrangements for McNeil as a mostly chipped feedstock sourced within a roughly 60–70 mile radius and noted the plant’s permit requirement that about 75% of fuel arrive by rail.

Committee members questioned regulation of public chargers, plant life expectancy, fuel sourcing and program details. Springer said Burlington Electric’s public station rates and home‑charging tariffs are regulated by the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) and explained that the utility performs major overhauls and seven‑year maintenance cycles at McNeil. He also said the utility is piloting small modular battery units from a vendor (Moduli) and plans to test 10 units with customers, including renters, because the devices do not require permanent installation.

Springer said the utility will publish a 2024 update in April, continue to refine incentive programs (including a recently increased e‑bike incentive), roll out additional pilots, and likely issue further revenue bonds later in the year depending on capital spending pace. He told the committee Burlington’s top customer priority, based on a triennial UVM survey, is reliability, followed closely by affordability.

The presentation did not result in formal committee action; it was delivered as a briefing and question‑and‑answer session.

Ending

Springer asked committee members to review additional data the utility prepared and offered to provide analysis to the committee on alternative resource portfolios. Burlington Electric plans to release its 2024 emissions and program update in April and expects to continue piloting charging, battery and demand‑management programs while working through federal grant uncertainties.