Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
DPS to House: existing rules can protect ratepayers but technical conference and clearer large‑load rules recommended
Summary
The Vermont Department of Public Service told the committee it sees sufficient regulatory tools to protect ratepayers from potential data center impacts but urged statutory and regulatory clarifications, a PUC technical conference, large‑load service‑equity contracts, stranded‑cost protections, and New England coordination. DPS said there were no active proposals in Vermont at the time of testimony.
Commissioner Carrick Johnson and TJ Poor of the Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) told the House Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee that the state has regulatory tools to review and mitigate data‑center impacts but should tighten protections and build a record before projects arrive.
"We have sufficient regulatory mechanisms to ensure protection of Vermont ratepayers right now," Commissioner Johnson said, while adding that the mechanisms "absolutely could be strengthened, and likely they should." DPS staff emphasized early coordination across New England, transparency in utility contracting, and clear cost‑allocation rules so ratepayers are not left holding long‑term transmission or reliability costs.
Johnson told the committee he was not aware of any active data‑center proposal in Vermont at the time…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
