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House committee hears support for statewide energy navigator study but stops short of funding
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Summary
The House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on April 23 heard Department of Public Service testimony backing a statewide home energy navigator program design, but the department urged finishing a contracted review of 100+ programs first and said it cannot support a direct appropriation.
The House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on April 23 heard testimony from the Department of Public Service supporting the concept of a statewide community-based home energy navigator program, but officials urged completing a department-contracted review before moving forward with appropriations.
"The department appreciates the focus on navigators," the department director for the Division of Energy and Electricity Resources, Alex, told the committee. Alex said the department has compiled a list of "100 plus" publicly funded energy programs and issued an RFP to hire a contractor to do a comprehensive review and comparison of those programs. "One of the recommendations that comes out of this report will be some form of navigator-type program or upgrade," Alex said.
Committee Vice Chair Scott Campbell (from St. Johnsbury) pressed for clarity about funding and operational design. Campbell, who described experience with weatherization programs, cautioned that volunteer navigators without building-science training could cause harm and asked whether the bill envisions volunteers or paid staff. "It just seems like there's plenty of room for misinformation," Campbell said, urging stronger emphasis on training in the bill language.
Alex responded that the department does not envision the model as solely volunteer-based and emphasized the need for trained professionals. The witness said the RFP does not include a budget and that planned design work would be funded from an existing grant rather than a direct appropriation; the witness said the department "cannot support the appropriation of any new money" as drafted without identified funding.
Members and the witness discussed timing and legislative deadlines. Alex said the contracted review will also inform the state's climate action plan and state energy plan and estimated the review could be completed by mid-October, a schedule members noted may leave a narrow window for follow-on legislative action. Committee members discussed either waiting for the consultant report before advancing the bill or making the bill explicitly contingent on the review's findings.
The bill under discussion directs a program design report and references prior work produced for the Public Utility Commission following Act 142; members and staff agreed the PUC's January work and the department's forthcoming report should be used to clarify where navigator services would add value or cause overlap. Committee members cited an existing Addison County program as a local model the statewide design could build on.
No formal vote was recorded during the hearing. The committee thanked the witness for appearing and said it would continue deliberations after reviewing the department's consultant report.
The committee recessed and indicated it will take further action on the bill after receiving the contracted review and clarifying budget and deadline language.
