New ‘solar customer benefit’ will spur solar energy, jobs across Vermont

Great news in VT:   The Governor yesterday signed a new bill spurring solar energy, and related jobs, through out the state.  We own a facility in Brattleboro, VT, and will most likely move ahead with renewable energy on that site.

Here's the link:  http://vermontbiz.com/news/may/new-‘solar-customer-benefit’-will-spur-solar-energy-jobs-across-vermont.

Here's part of the article: 

"Governor Shumlin signed the Vermont Energy Act of 2011 (H56) Wednesday in South Burlington. The law includes a new, statewide solar customer benefit that will help deliver net metered solar energy and jobs throughout Vermont.  

“There is a fiscal and environmental urgency for Vermont to move off fossil fuels and toward sustainable sources of power,” the Governor said at the bill signing ceremony, which was held at the Farm at South Village. The Village is a “new urbanist” sustainable community with a 150 KW net metered solar array to power an organic farming operation, wholesale production and refrigerated storage and distribution. 

Also participating in the bill signing were representatives for Encore Redevelopment, which developed the Village project, Renewable Energy Vermont, Gardener’s Supply, Alteris Renewables and others. In addition, the secretaries of Agriculture and Commerce, as well as the Commissioner of Public Service, attended the event. 

First initiated with Green Mountain Power’s (GMP) SolarGMP program, the 6 cents per kilowatt hour solar benefit helped provide the incentive to over 400 new solar installations.  The utility initiated the incentive as a way to reduce peak power and transmission costs and encourage the development of local solar energy..."

Read the rest when you can.  This is great news.

This is a absolutely the business side of green:  Legislation that can spur, across a state, economic development while reducing use of fossil fuel and emissions.  A big win-win.

We will be covering this story on a future edition of Renewable Now.

Also, the audio from our shows is now available in a radio show format on WARL, 1320 AM (either over the air or on their stream).  The first shows are now running:  with Julian Dash, RIEDC, and Al Dahlberg,  Project Get Ready.  More radio stations to follow soon.