This commentary is by Sarah Sciortino of Burlington and Marisa Keller of Montpelier, members of 350Vermont’s volunteer communications team.
In the face of overlapping crises of healthcare, housing and climate — and now with President Trump’s federal aid freeze jeopardizing many essential social services — we need clean, affordable, local energy to power our communities. After years of watching government leaders stonewall common-sense energy solutions that would have made everyone’s lives better, 350Vermont’s statewide network of volunteers is rolling up our sleeves to do it ourselves. We are working to bring solutions like home weatherization, community solar and thermal energy networks to our own communities.
Clean, affordable energy isn’t just key to tackling the climate crisis and making our communities stronger and more resilient — it’s essential for revitalizing our economy. The fossil fuel market currently siphons $1.7 billion a year from the Vermont economy. The current system is designed to profit out-of-state corporations, at the expense of everyday people. Investing in local clean energy in Vermont can create jobs and strengthen industries, yet we’re falling behind neighboring states in responding to the crisis and prioritizing the needs of Vermonters.
The successful campaigns of numerous newcomers in the Vermont legislature shows that people want to see their quality of life improve and their cost of living decrease. Vermonters are tired of waiting for policy solutions from unresponsive institutions and leaders. We are ready to get to work building solutions within our communities — to show our government and our energy utilities what it looks like to build clean energy infrastructure for the benefit of all.
The Public Utility Commission and the Scott administration often assert that transitioning to clean energy is expensive, while rejecting ideas and policies that could help make it affordable. In the spirit of the administration’s focus on short- and long-term fiduciary responsibility, the PUC and the state ought to find responsible funding mechanisms to mitigate the climate crisis, adapt to the changing energy economy and improve Vermonters’ quality of life in doing so. The administration’s inclination to portray all climate solutions as too expensive reflects its blindness to the cost of remaining dependent on fossil fuels.
After November’s election, 350Vermont staff and volunteers had conversations with 300 stakeholders, community members, farmers, leaders and folks across the political spectrum who made very clear that the status quo is not working for them. These everyday Vermonters spoke up in support of solutions like thermal energy networks, community solar projects and campaigns to weatherize municipal, commercial and residential buildings.
Building local clean energy infrastructure protects our health, keeps our energy dollars in state and makes us less vulnerable to natural disasters and political instability. Yet we repeatedly hear from those in power that such solutions are out of our price range. Our leaders ask us to settle for budget cuts and band-aids. We say: If electric utilities cut back incentives for community solar, we will find other ways to fund a renewable grid.
If Vermont Gas refuses to build thermal energy networks, we will build them ourselves. If Gov. Scott tells us that investing in a viable future is too expensive, we will invest our own resources in safeguarding our communities. We will continue to mobilize against the development of new carbon-burning infrastructure and we will empower communities to take action while building collective solidarity, resilience and strength.
Leaders like Eugene V. Debs, who championed the rights of workers in the early 1900s, and groups like the Industrial Workers of the World, which organized across industries to fight for better wages and working hours, showed us that real change often comes from collective action outside of traditional political institutions. The fight for labor rights was about more than just passing laws; it was about empowering workers to stand up and demand dignity and fair treatment. We must learn from these movements and empower communities to take control of their energy future and build local resilience.
Creating solutions to shift the energy grid to renewables at a community level promotes a system where renters are not dependent on landlords or state and federal government to make the shift to clean energy. Putting the power in the hands of communities is the necessary path forward when top-down solutions are shut down by the administration and utilities — despite the desire of ordinary Vermonters to invest in clean energy solutions that meet our needs for comfortable, affordable living.
Building grassroots power and strong coalitions is crucial for communities to thrive, and for the future of our ecosystems. The current system keeps everyday people thinking that we don’t have the agency to make things better for ourselves and our communities. But just as regular people in the labor movement fought for the right to weekends, the eight-hour workday, and safer working conditions, we can — and must — reclaim our democratic power to build ground-up solutions to the climate crisis that bring clean, affordable energy to every community in Vermont.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Sarah Sciortino and Marisa Keller: Climate solutions by and for Vermonters.