House energy committee hears Department of Public Service on 20-year energy plan and options for legislative study

The House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee heard a detailed briefing from the Vermont Department of Public Service on the state's next comprehensive energy plan and options for legislative follow-up. "It's really a 20-year analysis of projections of the use, supply, cost, and environmental effects of all energy sources used in Vermont," said TJ Kaur of the Department of Public Service. Kaur told the committee the plan is due January 2028 and that the department intends broader public engagement, updated baseline modeling and technical analysis over the next year.

Kaur framed the plan around statutory requirements and competing objectives: affordability, greenhouse-gas emissions reductions, economic vitality and reliable, secure service. She said the department uses both a ratepayer and a societal perspective when assessing policy options and urged clear “check-ins” and milestones to trigger policy shifts. "We continually want to look from a societal perspective and a ratepayer perspective," Kaur said.

Key recommendations flagged in Kaur's presentation included weatherization at scale, updated building standards moving toward net-zero-ready by 2030, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and distributed energy resource management (DERMS) for better distribution planning, and a review of the Renewable Energy Standard and complementary programs. Kaur also said the department won a competitive award for a Solar for All proposal totaling $63,000,000 but that the effort is currently in court.

Committee members and the chair, Representative Kathleen James, discussed whether to charge the existing Joint Carbon Emissions Reduction Committee with focused study this summer and fall instead of forming a new task force. Kaur cautioned that a legislative committee could add value if narrowly scoped and coordinated with departmental work, but that extensive hearings would consume staff resources. "If the scope was narrow and very specific, there could be areas we could think about where there could really be some value," Kaur said.

Members stressed the legislature's separate role in developing policy and the importance of not duplicating administrative efforts. Representative James said she would ask staff to add suggested language provided by the Department to the committee bill unless she heard strong objections before the stated deadline.

The committee signaled interest in additional briefings and in using targeted legislative hearings to digest technical analyses while avoiding parallel processes that would strain staff capacity. The department said it would continue to provide updates as the planning and regional energy landscape evolves.

The committee adjourned with plans to revisit the draft bill language and to schedule further technical briefings and stakeholder testimony.