WRC's Energy Committee

• address the broad objectives of energy planning and policy development in the region;
• promote local, regional and state energy policies that will support the long-term well-being of the region, its communities and citizens; and
• to work toward the identification and development of sustainable and reliable sources of energy on behalf of the Windham Regional Commission and its member towns.

There are many information resources available to help Vermonters reduce their energy use and costs, and many of them are geared toward helping with home heating costs this winter. Below are some links to a number of specific resources, all of which are taken from a Vermont state website ( www.helpforvt.org). You should visit these sites directly because the information changes and the WRC is not able to keep the information on this site completely up to date. By going to each linked website, you can obtain the latest and most accurate information.

Vermont-211 can provide you with information about community, regional, state, and faith based human services, including the Vermont Agency of Human Services. Contact Vermont 2-1-1 by dialing 211 from anywhere in Vermont, or visit their website at http://www.vermont211.org/ .

Efficiency Vermont provides a wide variety of energy efficiency information and services residential and business customers. Efficiency Vermont also provides energy efficiency measures to owners, managers and developers of multi-family housing units. www.efficiencyvermont.com .

The Vermont Seasonal Fuel Assistance Program can help to pay part of eligible persons’ home heating bills. You might be eligible for fuel assistance whether you own your home or rent, whether you pay for your heat directly or it's included in your rent, whether rent a room in someone else's home, or if you live in public, subsidized, or Section 8 housing AND your rent includes the cost of heat To determine your eligibility, the Fuel Assistance Office will consider both your household's income and resources. Follow this link to learn more about the Vermont Fuel Assistance Program: http://dcf.vermont.gov/esd/fuel_assistance. The best way to find out if you are eligible for assistance is to apply.

Vermont’s Weatherization Program is designed to help low income residents — particularly older Vermonters, people with disabilities, and families with children — to save fuel and money by improving the energy efficiency of their homes. Eligible households include any whose incomes are at or below 60 percent of Vermont’s median income, based on household income and size. Click here for the 2008 Income Eligibility Guidelines. However, if a household includes a member who receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Reach Up, Food Stamps, or Home Energy Assistance, the household is considered automatically eligible for weatherization services. To apply for weatherization contact the Vermont Weatherization Office nearest to you. For more information read the Weatherization Program Overview.

A Fuel Calculator is available at BuildingGreen.com, where users can compare the costs of the different types of home heating fuels.

A home energy audit is often the first step in making your home more efficient. An audit can help you assess how much energy your home uses and evaluate what measures you can take to improve efficiency. But remember, audits alone don't save energy. You need to implement the recommended improvements. ENERGY STAR provides extensive information about home improvement projects to enhance energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and increase comfort. You might be able to perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor perform a more thorough audit.

Do-It-Yourself Audits: If you have five minutes and your last 12 months of utility bills, use the ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick to compare your home's energy efficiency to similar homes across the country and get recommendations for energy-saving home improvements from ENERGY STAR. You will also need to enter some basic information about your home (such as zip code, age, square footage, and number of occupants). If you don't have your bills, contact your utility for a 12-month summary. Vermont's own Sustainable Energy Resource Group, or SERG, has an online tool that people can use to better understand their individual heating situation: http://web.valley.net/serg/energy-assessment.

Hiring a professional Home Energy Auditor might be advisable if you are interested in getting specific recommendations for improving the efficiency of your home. A professional auditor can use a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of your home. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation. Your first step should be to contact your utility to see if they offer free or discounted energy audits to their customers. If not, you can hire a home energy professional, such as a certified Home Energy Rater, to evaluate your home's energy efficiency. To find a Home Energy Rater, visit the ENERGY STAR for Homes Partner Locator.

Items of Current Interest

2) Entergy Vermont Yankee Petition to Extend Operation of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Until 2032

3) Corporate Restructuring: Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee application to the Public Service Board for approval to transfer control of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station to a new subsidiary corporation

4) The Vermont Department of Public Service conducted a statewide public engagement process on electric energy planning focused primarily on supply choices facing the state beginning in 2012, when Vermont Yankee's current license expires then over the next few years as the current HydoQuebec contracts run out. Results of this process are available at http://www.vermontsenergyfuture.info/Results%20and%20reports.html.

Electricity, generally

• New England's Electric Power System (470k PDF), presentation by Paul Peterson of Synapse Energy Economics and Dave Lamont of the Vt. Dept. of Public Service, given at the September 27, 2007 Cross Town Talk in Brattleboro, hosted by the WRC.

• Vt. Department of Public Service, an agency within the executive branch of Vermont state government. Among its charges are to represent the public interest in utility cases before the Public Service Board, federal regulatory agencies, and state and federal courts, and to provide long range planning for the state's energy and telecommunications needs.
• Vt. Public Service Board, serves as the quasi-judicial or decision-making authority in utility regulatory cases.
• ISO-New England, an independent, not-for-profit corporation that operates New England's bulk electric power system, administers its wholesale electricity market, and plans for New England's future energy needs.
• VELCO (Vermont Electric Power Company), a "transmission only" company that owns and manages Vermont's electrical transmission system, and serves as a representative of Vermont's combined utilities at ISO-New England.

• Strengthening Vermont's Energy Economy (712k PDF), final report and recommendations of the Vermont Rural Energy Council, August 2007.

• Vermont Energy Statistics from the U.S. Department of Energy.