Vermont utility unveils renewable energy plan

To meet and exceed customer expectations Vermont utility Green Mountain Power is seeking to have a 100 percent carbon-free energy supply by 2025 and completely renewable energy by 2030.

The proposed endeavor, which was unveiled during the GMP Earth Day Every Day Fair in South Burlington, Vermont, represents one of the most aggressive carbon targets for a utility of GMP’s size in the nation.

The latest efforts expand GMP’s energy vision launched and delivered in 2008, per officials, which sought to innovate and move quickly to increase renewable energy resources.

GMP’s current energy supply is 90 percent carbon-free and more than 60 percent renewable and utility personnel said the would pursue attaining its goal via the escalation of local distributed resources for generating and storing energy and purchases of carbon-free wind and hydro energy, all while making sure customers receive reliable, cost-effective service.

“There is so much we can accomplish together in Vermont to cut carbon and at the same time increase reliability for customers in the face of increasingly frequent and severe storms,” Mary Powell, president and CEO of GMP, said. “The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report makes clear, we have to act now and take bold steps to cut carbon. The report issued in October of 2018 shows we have just 12 years to bend back the curve on carbon.”

Powell said Green Mountain Power is determined that through innovation, collaboration and grit, the utility can make strides and deliver the energy future to benefit customers.