Total Energy News | May 2026 | |
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The war in Iran is causing an energy crisis nobody can opt out of
For years, the case for clean energy has been framed around the future. Lower emissions. Lower costs. Long-term resilience. But markets and policymakers rarely move on future benefits alone. They move when risk becomes immediate.
Time
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How rural Mass. towns are saving green by going green
Warwick has put up solar at the highway department garage and the firehouse, and has another system planned for the town’s lone school. Their aim is to replace gas and oil as the town’s primary fuel for transportation and heating.
WBUR
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$900 a year: That’s how much climate change costs the average US household
These costs include higher home insurance bills, disaster recovery costs in the form of higher state and federal taxes, and health damages from wildfire smoke and extreme weather.
WBUR
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| | Profile | Municipal Energy Code Collaborative | | |
After the 2025 Annual EAN Network Summit, a new Municipal Energy Code Collaborative team was established. This team, co-chaired by Zack Tyler from Energy Futures Group and Bettina Miguez from the City of South Burlington, has several goals:
- Assure that residential builders and contractors are constructing homes that meet the efficiency levels mandated by the Vermont Legislature through RBES.
- Maintain focus on affordability, looking not only at upfront/building costs, but also long-term durable affordability, comfort, and health of buildings, etc.
- Create a model of accountability for residential energy code compliance in leading Vermont municipalities that are committed to energy savings and climate goals, which could then be scaled and adapted to others. Explore how the Regional Planning Commissions can support this process.
- Support the growth of skilled energy auditors in Vermont, reinforce the importance of RBES, and expand the knowledge base of local residential contractors.
As part of this work, the team hosted a webinar/meeting on May 11th about “Stretch Code, HERS Raters, and Municipalities Learning from Massachusetts.” The group was joined by Ian Finlayson, Deputy Director, Buildings Codes and Policy from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, who spoke about the experience of stretch code and HERS raters working with municipalities in MA. You can see a recording of his presentation and the Q&A on the webpage here.
There will be a follow-on meeting for further discussion on June 8th at noon. Register here if you are interested in attending. (If you didn’t attend the May 11th meeting, please watch the recording of that meeting before joining the conversation on June 8th.)
| | | Data Download | Comparing fueling costs for EVs and gas cars in different parts of VT | | |
Almost all Vermont drivers would spend less money on vehicle fueling costs if they were driving an EV instead of a gas vehicle. This has long been true, but as prices climb above $4.50/gallon, the long-term value of EVs is becoming even more pronounced.
How much money a specific household can save depends on the price of gasoline, the electric rates offered by their utility, and whether they have regular access to at-home and/or at-work charging, or need to charge their cars at more expensive public charging stations.
Vermont has 17 electric distribution utilities, each of which offers a different residential electricity rate, ranging from 13¢ to 26¢ per kWh in 2026. Additionally, 76% of Vermonters have access to lower rates for charging EVs during off-peak periods through Burlington Electric Department and Green Mountain Power. EV rates or bill credits will soon be even more widely available, as other VT utilities are developing similar offerings.
At the most affordable end, an average driver who is able to charge exclusively on Burlington Electric Department’s off-peak charging rate would pay $410 per year to fuel their car, less than 1/5 as much as a driver paying for gasoline at current prices. A driver charging an EV at average VT electric rates would spend about 2½ times less than a driver using gasoline to fuel their car for the same number of miles driven. Even a driver who relied exclusively on the most expensive EV option of public level 3 fast charging would save about 40% over current gasoline customers. However, most EV drivers do the majority of their charging at home and only use the more expensive public options as needed.
This is a new graph that will appear in the 2026 EAN Annual Progress Report for Vermont on Energy, Affordability, and Emissions, which will be released in the fall.
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2026 EAN Annual Network Summit
Join other Network members and partners to learn about the latest data and analysis on energy affordability and VT’s energy and climate commitments, hear from energy leaders from Vermont and beyond sharing new ideas, and connect and network with other energy leaders in the state.
September 23, 2026 – Essex, Vermont
Learn more and register
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Climate Workforce Coalition | Online meeting
At this fully online climate workforce coalition meeting we will hear from Vermont Outdoor Business Association about their Climate Outdoors Workforce Initiative survey and outcomes, from Efficiency Vermont about Weatherization Industry Roundtables, and other presenters.
June 3, 2026 – at 9am on Zoom
Learn more and register
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Municipal Energy Code Collaborative | Online meeting
This meeting is a follow on to the May 11 meeting on “Stretch Code, HERS Raters, and Municipalities: Learning from Massachusetts.” In this meeting we will discuss what was learned at the May 11 meeting. We will also have a broader conversation about the possibilities that exist in Vermont to create a model of accountability for residential energy code compliance in leading Vermont municipalities that are committed to energy savings and climate goals, which could then be scaled and adapted to others.
June 8, 2026 – at noon on Zoom
Learn more and register
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Heat Pump Webinar: The experience of heat pump installers and customers in Vermont
In this webinar we’ll hear about the installer and customer experience of heat pump installation and use in Vermont from speakers:
– Nick Papaseraphim – Business Owner, Vermont Energy
– Shannon Bryant – Energy Navigator, CEAC
– Ken Jones – Senior Fellow, EAN
– Charlie Willner – Director of Energy Services, Evernorth
June 11, 2026 – at 1pm on Zoom
Learn more and register
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Vermont Building Energy Workforce Development Program RFP
The Vermont Department of Public Service seeks proposals from qualified entities to develop and implement workforce development programs that expand and strengthen Vermont’s energy efficiency, weatherization, electrification, and clean energy workforce.
Proposals due June 15
Learn more
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EAN Network Action Teams
EAN Network Action Teams meet regularly. If you are interested in joining meetings of any EAN Network Action Teams or Coalitions, contact Cara cara@eanvt.org.
Learn more
| | The Vermont Total Energy Ticker | |
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After a long, cold winter, energy costs are soaring. Some Vermonters are reevaluating their options.
“I’m on quite a restricted budget,” said one Vermonter who planned to switch away from oil heating. “I’m really, really worried about where things are right now.”
VT Digger
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Vermont thought it was getting new electric buses. The Trump administration had other plans.
The state’s largest public transit provider is set to get a fleet of hybrid buses, rather than fully electric ones, after the feds this month changed the terms of a 2023 grant.
VT Digger
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As VT defends its law to make fossil fuel firms pay for climate adaptation, the bill is already coming due
The courts will decide if the first “climate superfund” law in the nation survives. Vermont towns, meanwhile, must figure out how to pay for infrastructure that extreme weather won’t destroy.
Inside Climate News
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