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Committee pauses S219 'Energy Navigators' pending DPS RFP and report
Summary
Committee members said they will await Department of Public Service testimony and posted RFP materials before deciding whether to advance S219; public comment characterized the bill as primarily a $35,000 program design study.
The House Energy & Digital Infrastructure committee on April 22 deferred a decision on S219, the "Energy Navigators" bill, until the Department of Public Service provides written testimony and clarifies overlap with an existing RFP and program review.
The chair summarized a public comment letter from Steve Meyer of SEAK in Addison County saying the bill "is essentially $35,000 for a study" rather than a statewide program rollout. Several members noted DPS already has an RFP and expects a mid‑October phase‑one report; some said the committee should wait for DPS’s output to avoid duplicating work, while others argued that the bill’s study step would move program design further along for legislative consideration next session.
Committee members also discussed the intended role of navigators — whether to rely on volunteer community helpers or professionals with training in building science and weatherization — and raised concerns about redundancy with existing energy assistance and utility programs. The chair asked staff to invite DPS back for on‑record testimony and to post any written DPS testimony to the committee file before deciding whether to bring S219 to a vote.
Next steps: DPS will be asked to submit written testimony and appear before the committee; the committee will review the RFP and DPS’s mid‑October timeline before scheduling a vote.
