Energizing Vermont
Mark Green
Posted October 3, 2016
Since closure of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant in 2014, Vermont depends on outside sources for about 60 percent of the electricity it uses. Like much of the rest of New England, Vermont would benefit by adding natural gas pipeline capacity to address peak demand periods in the winter.
Click on the thumbnail to view a two-page energy infographic for the Green Mountain State.
The way things stand, Vermonters paid more than the national average for both electricity and natural gas last winter. New pipelines and/or expansion of existing ones would remedy shortage issues when energy is in high demand, a key factor in energy costs to consumers.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 59 percent of Vermont’s net electricity generation last year was supplied by hydroelectric power and 40 percent by renewable energy. Of the renewables, biomass (53.7 percent) and wind (38.4 percent) led the way. One in six Vermont households uses wood products as the primary heating source, EIA reports.
Increasing natural gas’ role in Vermont has environmental appeal, given the way growing use of natural gas is allowing the U.S. to lead the world in reducing emissions of energy-related carbon dioxide. The abundance of cleaner-burning natural gas is a result of a domestic energy renaissance that has made the U.S. the world’s leading natural gas and oil producer.
To continue benefiting from that production, the U.S. needs pro-development policies – greater resource access, commonsense regulation and efficient permitting. Page 2 of the Vermont infographic shows a number of these benefits and contrasts them with potential negative impacts from policies characterized by regulatory constraints.
Energy is essential for virtually every aspect of our daily lives. It powers national, state and local economies, gets us to work and goes into products we rely on for health and comfort. Safe, responsible energy development here at home is linked to national security as well as Americans’ individual prosperity and liberty – in Vermont and all the 50 states of energy.
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.