Efforts towards energy consumption reduction have proven to be extremely
successful, but much more can be done. Making further reductions in
residential and industrial energy use is far cheaper than building new
generation facilities. By taking efficiency education to the next level
and employing more advanced reduction tactics such as dynamic pricing,
we can avoid building new utility scale facilities altogether.
Vermont can also become a leader in power generation and management by
embracing smaller scale solar, hydro, wind and biomass installations.
These small community-driven installations enhance the reliability of
the grid, reduce line transmission loss and deliver substantially less
environmental impact. When the energy is generated and consumed close to
home (if not at home) a higher awareness of usage creates even more
efficiency savings.
This alternative path also has significant economic benefits. Widespread
investment will create jobs right in the communities generating and
consuming the power. The added reliability of distributed generation
means significantly less economic loss due to blackouts, ensuring a
steady, humming economy. Skeptics say such a system would raise rates
and reduce business potential. However, long-term savings in efficiency
and grid maintenance mean that such a system is not only viable but can
bring significant savings over existing rates.
Vermont has shown it has the ability to overcome great challenges with
unique solutions.
Lukas B. Snelling
Director of Communications
Energize Vermont.
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