Total Energy News July 2023
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Your Update on Vermont and National Energy News
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We write today thinking about those of you who were directly impacted by the floods, and about all of our fellow Vermonters who lost homes, places of employment, and favorite community spaces. It has been a rough month. At the same time, it has been inspiring to see how we Vermonters rally together to lend a hand and help our neighbors.
The importance of our work together as a Network has never been more clear, as we work together to mitigate and adapt to our increasingly destabilized climate.
One of the near-term opportunities we have to learn together will be at the lunch and learn webinar on August 10 at noon, when we will hear about the research of our two summer interns ( register here).
- Evelyn Hatem from Dartmouth College will share her work on the Social Cost of Carbon and how it is being implemented in Vermont’s climate policy.
- Josh Valentine from Middlebury College will share his work developing a “Heat Pump Action Plan for Vermont”, outlining key advances that will be needed to achieve the scale of heat pump market activity modeled for the Vermont Climate Action Plan.
We also hope that you have the EAN Annual Summit on your calendar for September 28, with an optional additional half-day for Network Action Team collaboration on September 29. EAN’s 2023 Network Summit will include a chance to connect with other Network members and public sector partners, learn more about where Vermont stands relative to our renewable energy and emissions reduction commitments, and help choose Network priorities to make breakthrough energy progress while creating a more just, thriving, and sustainable future for Vermonters. Learn more about the Summit and register today.
In advance of the Summit, EAN is once again accepting pitches that respond to the question: What is most needed now for Vermont to meet our greenhouse gas emission reduction obligations in ways that will create a more just, thriving, and sustainable future for Vermonters? Pitch proposals are due by August 10. If you are interested in being involved in a pitch, please let Cara know (cara@eanvt.org). Please also let Cara know if you are planning to submit a pitch, but need extra time.
Finally, nominations are open for EAN’s two annual awards, which will be presented at our Summit. The Anne & Arthur Berndt Award honors Network members who have demonstrated vision, leadership, and commitment to creating a renewable energy future for Vermont. The Leigh Seddon Award honors Network members who have made a significant volunteer commitment to EAN, contributed research or analysis that helps advance EAN’s mission, and/or mentored newer EAN members or staff. Nominate an EAN member or public sector partner for these awards by September 1.
Thank you,
Cara, Jared, and Lena
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Is extreme weather the ‘new normal?’ There’s no such thing, some scientists say
“Until we stop pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere we have no idea what the future looks like.”
CNN
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Now is the time to go all in on heat pumps
A new Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analysis shows that in all 48 continental states, replacing a gas furnace with a heat pump could reduce climate pollution by up to 93 percent.
RMI
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Rates of electrification adoption to meet US climate targets
Rewiring America’s Pace of Progress report spells out specific, annual increases in equipment that Americans must install to meet U.S. climate commitments.
Rewiring America
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Profile: Bill Regan
and the EAN Senior Fellows Program
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Did you know that EAN has a Senior Fellows program? EAN Senior Fellows are leading experts, not employed by a Network member organization, who are invited by EAN to regularly contribute research and analysis that is relevant to our Network’s mission. This august and generous group includes Leigh Seddon, Linda McGinnis, Christine Donovan, Karen Glitman, Bill Regan, Ken Jones, and Beth Sachs.
Many of these names are well known within the Vermont energy landscape. But you may not yet know Bill Regan. Bill is helping EAN to create new communications resources, including writing the two factsheets below in our Data Download this month. Bill gained over 30 years of public policy experience in Washington, DC before moving to Vermont, where he works with local environmental groups, other non-profits, and socially-responsible businesses. In Washington, Bill led large and complex organizations, drove analytic programs on some of the most pressing issues of the day, and produced and reviewed products for the President, Cabinet, and other top officials in the Executive Branch and Congress. We are grateful to have him as one of our Senior Fellows!
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Data Download: New EAN fact sheets on affordability in Vermont’s highest-polluting sectors
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The transportation and thermal sectors are the largest contributors to Vermont’s GHG emissions, together accounting for 72% of total emissions in 2020. Advancing the energy transition in these sectors presents a major opportunity to improve affordability when it comes to heating our homes and getting around.
Thanks to the work of EAN Senior Fellow Bill Regan, we are pleased to present two new, interactive, fact sheets intended to provide an overview of affordability, equity, and economic considerations in the transportation and thermal sectors. Check out the links below to learn more!
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EAN 2023 Summer Intern Research Lunch & Learn
Learn about EAN’s two summer interns’ research projects on the Social Cost of Carbon and on creating a Heat Pump Action Plan for Vermont.
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EAN 2023 Annual Summit
This year’s Summit will return to Sugarbush Resort, where our traditional EAN Summit will take place on September 28th with a new second day on September 29th that will focused on Network Action Teams, learning from one another, and planning.
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Business Sense trainings – Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund’s Business Coaching Program launched Business Sense, a six-module training series for entrepreneurs and small business owners. The series provides essential tools and information resources in areas such as financials, operations, sales and marketing, human resources, leadership, and governance. Business Sense aims to help businesses thrive. The first two modules, Financial Literacy and Business Operations, have been released and the remaining four modules will be launching soon.
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VCRD’s Vermont Community Leadership Summit
Save the Date for the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s 2023 Vermont Community Leadership Summit! Join fellow community builders to gain new skills, meet like-minded individuals, share success stories, and explore big ideas for the future of Vermont.
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VEEP Summer Institute for teachers
Tell teachers about the Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP)/New Hampshire Energy Education Project (NHEEP) Summer Institute on “Jumping from Joy to Action: Empowering Energy and Climate changemakers through play, hope, and wonder”.
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EAN Network Action Teams
EAN Network Action Teams meet regularly. If you are interested in joining meetings of the Weatherization at Scale Coalition, the Climate Workforce Coalition, or other teams, or if you want to learn more about their work, contact Cara: cara@eanvt.org.
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Vermont Climate Council Meetings
All Vermont Climate Council meetings and subcommittee meetings are open to the public, with all details on the Climate Council website.
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The Vermont Total Energy Ticker
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The exceedingly low odds of VT’s flooding disaster, visualized
The rainfall that hit parts of Vermont on June 10-11 was supposed to have less than a 1-in-100 chance of occurring, according to federal flood data.
Washington Post
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After Irene, Vermont ‘built back smarter.’ It has more work to do
Post-Irene resiliency planning and projects made a difference. But much essential infrastructure remains in harm’s way.
VT Digger
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‘We are not prepared’: Disasters spread as climate change strikes
The warming planet is causing havoc with record heat, floods, storms and wildfires. And scientists warn the toll will get worse.
Politico
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Have an upcoming event or news story to share? Let us know.
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