Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0052 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED H.52
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6	6	H.52 1
7	7	Introduced by Representatives Harrison of Chittenden, Lipsky of Stowe, and 2
8	8	Morris of Springfield 3
9	9	Referred to Committee on 4
10	10	Date: 5
11	11	Subject: Conservation and development; air pollution; climate change; Global 6
12	12	Warming Solutions Act 7
13	13	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to change the 8
14	14	greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements to goals. 9
15	15	An act relating to changing the greenhouse gas emission reduction 10
16	16	requirements to goals 11
17	17	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
18	18	Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 578 is amended to read: 13
19	19	§ 578. GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION REQUIREMENTS GOALS 14
20	20	(a) Greenhouse gas reduction requirements goals. It is the goal of Vermont 15
21	21	shall to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from within the geographical 16
22	22	boundaries of the State and those emissions outside the boundaries of the State 17
23	23	that are caused by the use of energy in Vermont, as measured and inventoried 18
24	24	pursuant to section 582 of this title, by: 19
25	25	* * * 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.52
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30	30	(c) Implementation of State programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 1
31	31	In order to facilitate the State’s compliance with the goals established in this 2
32	32	section, all State agencies shall consider, whenever practicable, any increase or 3
33	33	decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in their decision-making procedures with 4
34	34	respect to the purchase and use of equipment and goods; the siting, 5
35	35	construction, and maintenance of buildings; the assignment of personnel; and 6
36	36	the planning, design, and operation of programs, services, and infrastructure. 7
37	37	* * * 8
38	38	Sec. 2. 30 V.S.A. § 202a is amended to read: 9
39	39	§ 202a. STATE ENERGY POLICY 10
40	40	It is the general policy of the State of Vermont: 11
41	41	* * * 12
42	42	(3) To meet Vermont’s energy service needs in a manner that will 13
43	43	achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reductions requirements goals pursuant 14
44	44	to 10 V.S.A § 578 and is consistent with the Vermont Climate Action Plan 15
45	45	adopted and updated pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 592. 16
46	46	Sec. 3. 30 V.S.A. § 202b is amended to read: 17
47	47	§ 202b. STATE COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY PLAN 18
48	48	(a) The Department of Public Service, in conjunction with other State 19
49	49	agencies designated by the Governor, shall prepare a State Comprehensive 20
50	50	Energy Plan covering at least a 20-year period. The Plan shall seek to 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.52
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55	55	implement the State energy policy set forth in section 202a of this title, 1
56	56	including meeting the State’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions 2
57	57	requirements goals pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 578, and shall be consistent with 3
58	58	the relevant goals of 24 V.S.A. § 4302 and with the Vermont Climate Action 4
59	59	Plan adopted and updated pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 592. The State 5
60	60	Comprehensive Energy Plan shall include: 6
61	61	* * * 7
62	62	Sec. 4. 10 V.S.A. § 591 is amended to read: 8
63	63	§ 591. VERMONT CLIMATE COUN CIL 9
64	64	* * * 10
65	65	(b) The Council shall: 11
66	66	(1) Identify, analyze, and evaluate strategies and programs to reduce 12
67	67	greenhouse gas emissions; achieve the State’s reduction requirements goals 13
68	68	pursuant to section 578 of this title; and build resilience to prepare the State’s 14
69	69	communities, infrastructure, and economy to adapt to the current and 15
70	70	anticipated effects of climate change, including: 16
71	71	* * * 17
72	72	(2) On or before December 1, 2021, adopt the Vermont Climate Action 18
73	73	Plan (Plan) and update the Plan on or before July 1 every four years thereafter. 19
74	74	The Plan shall set forth recommend the specific initiatives, programs, and 20
75	75	strategies that the State shall pursue consider implementing to reduce 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.52
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80	80	greenhouse gas emissions; achieve the State’s reduction requirements goals 1
81	81	pursuant to section 578 of this title; and build resilience to prepare the State’s 2
82	82	communities, infrastructure, and economy to adapt to the current and 3
83	83	anticipated effects of climate change. 4
84	84	(3) Identify the means to accurately measure: 5
85	85	(A) the State’s greenhouse gas emissions and progress towards 6
86	86	meeting the reduction requirements goals pursuant to section 578 of this title, 7
87	87	including publishing emissions data in a timely manner; 8
88	88	* * * 9
89	89	(4) Provide guidance to the Secretary of Natural Resources concerning 10
90	90	the form, content, and subject matter of rules to be adopted recommended for 11
91	91	adoption pursuant to section 593 of this chapter. 12
92	92	* * * 13
93	93	(i) On or before January 15, 2021 and every January 15 thereafter, the 14
94	94	Council shall submit a written report to the General Assembly concerning the 15
95	95	Council’s activities and the State’s progress towards meeting the greenhouse 16
96	96	gas reduction requirements goals pursuant to section 578 of this title. On or 17
97	97	before November 1, 2021 and every second November 1 thereafter, the 18
98	98	Director of Vermont Emergency Management shall file a report with the 19
99	99	Council concerning Vermont’s overall municipal resilience to increased 20
100	100	hazards presented by climate change that shall include hazard mitigation plans, 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.52
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105	105	local emergency management plans, and survey results as deemed appropriate 1
106	106	by the Director. Subsequent reports shall include updates to document 2
107	107	progress in local resilience. The report shall inform Council recommendations 3
108	108	on policies to address gaps in local resilience. 4
109	109	Sec. 5. 10 V.S.A. § 592 is amended to read: 5
110	110	§ 592. THE VERMONT CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 6
111	111	(a) On or before December 1, 2021, the Vermont Climate Council 7
112	112	(Council) shall adopt adopted the Vermont Climate Action Plan (Plan) and. 8
113	113	The Council shall update the Plan on or before July 1 every four years 9
114	114	thereafter. 10
115	115	(b) The Plan shall set forth recommend the specific initiatives, programs, 11
116	116	and strategies, including regulatory and legislative changes, necessary to 12
117	117	achieve the State’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements goals 13
118	118	pursuant to section 578 of this title and build resilience to prepare the State’s 14
119	119	communities, infrastructure, and economy to adapt to the current and 15
120	120	anticipated effects of climate change. The Plan shall include specific 16
121	121	initiatives, programs, and strategies that will: 17
122	122	* * * 18
123	123	(e) The updated Plan shall form the basis for the rules adopted recommend 19
124	124	rules for consideration by the Secretary of Natural Resources pursuant to 20
125	125	section 593 of this chapter. If the Council fails to adopt the Plan or update the 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.52
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130	130	Plan as required by this chapter, the Secretary shall proceed with consider 1
131	131	adopting and implementing rules that in the Secretary’s discretion are cost 2
132	132	effective, practicable, and designed pursuant to subsection 593(j) of this 3
133	133	chapter to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reductions requirements goals 4
134	134	pursuant to section 578 of this title. 5
135	135	Sec. 6. 10 V.S.A. § 593 is amended to read: 6
136	136	§ 593. RULES 7
137	137	(a) The Secretary of Natural Resources shall consider and adopt rules 8
138	138	pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25, which are in the Secretary’s discretion cost 9
139	139	effective, practicable, designed to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions 10
140	140	reductions requirements pursuant to section 578 of this title, and are consistent 11
141	141	with the Vermont Climate Action Plan (Plan). In adopting rules pursuant to 12
142	142	this section, the Secretary shall: 13
143	143	(1) Ensure that Consider whether the rules are consistent with the 14
144	144	specific initiatives, programs, and strategies set forth in the Plan and updates to 15
145	145	the Plan; follow consider the Vermont Climate Council’s guidance provided 16
146	146	pursuant to subdivision 591(b)(4) of this chapter; and further the objectives 17
147	147	pursuant to subsection 592(d) of this chapter. 18
148	148	(2) Develop a detailed record containing facts; data; and legal, scientific, 19
149	149	and technical information sufficient to establish a reasonable basis to believe 20
150	150	that the rules shall achieve the State’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.52
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155	155	requirements goals pursuant to section 578 of this title. This detailed record 1
156	156	shall be included with the rule and filed with the Secretary of State pursuant to 2
157	157	3 V.S.A. § 838. 3
158	158	(b) On or before December 1, 2022, the Secretary shall adopt and 4
159	159	implement rules consistent with the specific initiatives, programs, and 5
160	160	strategies set forth in the Plan and achieve the 2025 greenhouse gas emissions 6
161	161	reduction requirement goal pursuant to section 578 of this title. 7
162	162	* * * 8
163	163	(d) The Secretary shall, on or before July 1, 2024, review and, if necessary, 9
164	164	update the rules required by subsection (b) of this section in order to ensure 10
165	165	that the 2025 greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirement goal pursuant to 11
166	166	section 578 of this title is achieved. In performing this review and update, the 12
167	167	Secretary shall observe the requirements of subsection (c) of this section. 13
168	168	(e) On or before July 1, 2026, the Secretary shall adopt and implement 14
169	169	rules consistent with the specific initiatives, programs, and strategies set forth 15
170	170	in the Plan and updates to the Plan and achieve the 2030 greenhouse gas 16
171	171	emissions reduction requirement goal pursuant to section 578 of this title. The 17
172	172	Secretary shall observe the requirements of subsection (c) of this section. 18
173	173	(f) The Secretary shall, at his or her the Secretary’s discretion, but not less 19
174	174	frequently than once every two years between 2026 and 2030, review and, if 20
175	175	necessary, update the rules required by subsection (e) of this section in order to 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.52
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180	180	ensure that the 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirement goal 1
181	181	pursuant to section 578 of this title is achieved. In performing this review and 2
182	182	update, the Secretary shall observe the requirements of subsection (c) of this 3
183	183	section. 4
184	184	(g) On or before July 1, 2040, the Secretary shall adopt and implement 5
185	185	rules consistent with the specific initiatives, programs, and strategies set forth 6
186	186	in the Plan and updates to the Plan and achieve the 2050 greenhouse gas 7
187	187	emissions reduction requirement goal pursuant to section 578 of this title. 8
188	188	(h) The Secretary shall, at his or her the Secretary’s discretion, but not less 9
189	189	frequently than once every two years between 2040 and 2050, review and, if 10
190	190	necessary, update the rules required by subsection (g) of this section in order to 11
191	191	ensure that the 2050 greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirement goal 12
192	192	pursuant to section 578 of this title is achieved. In performing this review and 13
193	193	update, the Secretary shall observe the requirements of subsection (c) of this 14
194	194	section. 15
195	195	* * * 16
196	196	(j) If the Council fails to adopt the Plan or update the Plan as required by 17
197	197	section 592 of this chapter, the Secretary shall adopt and implement rules 18
198	198	pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25 to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions 19
199	199	reductions requirements goals pursuant to section 578 of this title. 20
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205	205	Sec. 7. REPEAL 1
206	206	10 V.S.A. § 594 (cause of action) is repealed. 2
207	207	Sec. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE 3
208	208	This act shall take effect on passage. 4