Vermont Climate Economy Summit IDEAS TO ACTION February 22, 2016 | VTC, Randolph

Summit Report

The Summit was produced by: The Vermont Council on Rural Development www.vtrural.org/programs/climatePage 1 -economy Table of Contents

Morning Breakout Session Reports: Arenas for Action ...... 3 • City and Town Leaders • Youth • State Administration • Clean Energy Utility Leaders • Vermont Business Leader Fishbowl • Investors • Legislators • Working Lands Leaders

Afternoon Breakout Session Reports: Action ...... 14 • Supporting Community Driven Climate Economy Solutions • Developing Comprehensive Transportation Efficiencies and Systems Change • Advancing Comprehensive Home Efficiencies: Weatherization, Energy Retrofits, and Next Stage Efficiencies • Growing Climate Economy Entrepreneurs: Climate Economy Network Initiative • Promoting Efficiencies and Energy Development through Clean Energy Finance Collaboration • Promoting Standards, Regulations & Incentives for Clean Energy Efficiencies • Pricing Carbon • Marketing Vermont as a National Climate Economy Leader • Building a National Climate Economy Summit in Vermont

Participants ...... 25

Outreach Sponsors...... 31

Financial Sponsors ...... 32

About the Vermont Council on Rural Development The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is a non-profit organization charged by the federal farm bill to act as a neutral convener at both the local and policy level supporting the progress of Vermont communities. VCRD has helped over 40 communities throughout Vermont expand public engagement, set priorities for the future, and implement community and economic development action plans. Past VCRD policy efforts have supported progress in issues ranging from wood products to downtown revitalization, rural energy development, the digital economy, and Vermont’s working landscape.

Vermont Council on Rural Development Facebook.com/VtClimateEcon PO Box 1384, Montpelier VT 05601 802-223-6091 | [email protected] | www.vtrural.org @VtClimateEcon

Page 2 Introduction Over 420 participants came together on February 22, 2016 for VCRD’s 2nd Climate Economy Summit: Ideas to Action. Participants reviewed PROGRESS FOR VERMONT, the report and action plan of the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council and worked to identify strategies to make Vermont a national leader in achieving climate economy business development, innovation, and job creation for the future. Read the full report at www.vtrural.org/reports.

The Summit was also the founding point of the Vermont Climate Economy Partnership devoted to collective effort to advancing Vermont’s Climate Economy. To find out more about the Initiative and to keep in touch, join the Climate Economy Partnership at: www.vtrural.org/programs/climate-economy.

Breakout Session Notes The following pages capture the notes from morning and afternoon breakout sessions. Morning sessions heard from a panel of leaders and experts within 8 different work arenas; and in afternoon, participants met in groups within the 9 focus topics based on recommendations from PROGRESS FOR VERMONT. Each group discussed what is happening now in each area of work and action steps to advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development.

Morning Breakout Session: Arenas for Action

SESSION A: CITY AND TOWN LEADERS MODERATOR: Mark Johnson, VT Digger SCRIBE: Kate Whelley McCabe

Summary of Panelist Presentations John Hollar, Montpelier Mayor: In a small community, One idea could be to create a funding stream to have 4 or it is hard to get a lot done with limited resources. There 5 positions that municipalities could share statewide. This are great volunteers that are eager to be involved, but lack work is a challenge to do on volunteer efforts alone. of staff and funding to expand efficiency work beyond Chris Louras, Rutland Mayor: Rutland began work on electricity is a challenge. Montpelier did take on a this issue in 2005 following the Rutland Creative Economy challenge 4 years ago and adopted a policy of net zero by forum through VCRD when the city prioritized energy 2030. This is ambitious and challenging, but has helped to sustainability. In 2007, Rutland saw its first FEMA event focus the work and create urgency. This has led to a and have had 4 since then. This has been a wakeup call biomass facility that heats downtown with renewable that we need to focus on climate change adaptation and wood pellets, a solar program, a car share program, and mitigation. Rutland, through a partnership with Green putting 5% of parking revenue into renewable Mountain Power, has made a commitment to focus efforts transportation infrastructure including a bike and on becoming a laboratory for mitigation and adaptation to pedestrian pathway that is currently under construction. climate change and to set an example for Vermont just as Page 3 Vermont is poised to be an example for the country. Peter Elwell, Brattleboro Town Manager: This is an Examples include relocating the Red Cross shelter from the exciting opportunity because as Vermonters, we take risks flood plain and adding electricity generation capacity – it is a part of our culture and history. We have a through a solar installation on the abutting landfill. This is willingness to get things done. We can’t solve this alone, the first in the nation DOE large scale battery storage but we can lead by example. In Brattleboro, the public facility. Additionally, Rutland is working with GMP and sector is working hard to support the private sector and Casella to use their waste water treatment plant as a co- partner in the tri-state area to invest in the green gen facility. Rutland is working with GMP to generate jobs, economy. The town has limited streetlights and converted establish a 95% occupancy rate in their downtown, and be them to LED, put in electric car power stations, made a laboratory for Vermont and the country. historical downtown more pedestrian friendly, and reused downtown and factory buildings instead of tearing them Thom Lauzon, Barre Mayor: Barre hopes to set an down. We are proud of our curbside compost collection example with conservation and innovation – questioning program to divert organics from the waste stream. To what we do as a municipality and implementing best work with the private sector, we have workforce practices. Some examples of what Barre has done include; development for young people so that they can be a part eliminating streetlights and replacing others with efficient of this green economy; we have diverted funding tied to bulbs, thinking about mass transit, questioning why police the closure of Vermont Yankee to the Windham Wood need SUVs instead of a Ford Focus, and supporting Heating Initiative and the Sustainable Timber Investment downtown because when people live close they reduce Exchange. We have also collaborated with VTrans and their carbon footprint. Barre has partnerships with EV, others to do a corridor study to try and extend and area GMP, and Capstone to support this work. conducive to biking and walking to support working farms and tourism.

Group Discussion Key Take Aways • Due to Act 148, composting programs are on the be difficult, but you have to weigh the cost of taking horizon, but each town and city face unique challenges action against the cost of not taking any action. Other in implementing a successful program. panelists felt that it may not be doable on the local level • Funding is needed for wastewater and storm-water and could have unintended consequences on businesses management. Upgrades are necessary due to weather and the economy. events and both funding and technical advice are • Partnerships are important to help measure carbon critically needed. footprint locally. Barre partnered with Norwich • More opportunities for collaboration across University to measure their footprint and reduction. municipalities, supported at the state level, would be • The communities represented varied on their view for helpful to meet challenges with new regulations and the future of their city or town with 90% renewable by climate change. 2050. In Rutland, the focus will likely be around solar as • Breaking down silos at the community and state levels well as a focus on efficiency, weatherization, and will be important in advancing the green economy. For conservation rather than building out infrastructure. example, in Rutland Project Vision has broken silos to They are looking at new technologies for rooftops to ensure that crime, addiction, and building great continue solar development. In Brattleboro, focus has neighborhoods are all a part of the conversation. Those been primarily around walkable and livable downtowns that can most afford to take advantage of efficiency while in Montpelier, focus has been around supporting programs are those that need it least. Housing providers personal changes such as improving public should be involved in the work on the green economy. transportation. However, in the long term, there is a • Views on carbon taxation in each community vary – need for national policies and markets to drive demand several panelists felt that passing a policy like that would for transportation transitions.

Page 4 SESSION B: YOUTH MODERATOR: Patricia Coates, Vermont State Colleges SCRIBE: Katie Williamson

Summary of Panelist Presentations Morgan Easton, VT Technical College: Morgan’s goals Margaret Gish, University of Vermont: Margaret are around increasing viability and feasibility of energy studies early education and environmental science. efficiency products and buildings in the community as well Environmental education is critical for our youngest as bringing organizations’ efforts together. children. Margaret’s goals center around increasing enthusiasm for environmental literacy and action through Carl Deithelm, Green Mountain College: Carl is schools and school-based programs. working at Green Mountain College towards waste diversion especially around recycling and composting, Gina Fiorile, University of Vermont: Gina helped to focusing on consumer behavior and program procedures. organize the Vermont Youth Climate Summit which has Goals include repurposing food from dining halls to serve gained national attention. Her goals are centered around children and families in need using EPA food waste making climate change relevant to each person, especially hierarchy to improve food recovery efforts. promoting the youth voice by creating connections between all interests (for example music, art, education) and climate action.

Group Discussion Key Take Aways • Education plays a key role on a path to climate action, needed to shift from “the next best thing” to however there are some challenges. Vermont colleges repurposing old things to keep them functional, and also help create direct engagement to facilitate interest and towards fostering an appreciation of nature to create working with professors who are practicing in this field is instincts for climate action and an interest in inspiring and encouraging. However, sustainability of environmental literacy. Social media can be a key tool – projects in schools is a challenge due to turnover of photos help spread the visual messaging of VT’s work. students and faculty. However, while you can reach a certain population of • Getting students involved directly with hands-on projects in people, social media isn’t everything. the trade industries and on changing consumer behavior is • The panel named several barriers to learning about key to connecting the business community with students sustainability in middle and high school including lack of and the education community. Vermont is a place where teachers who are willing to teach students about climate innovation inspires young people to stay and work. It is action, but also recognized the importance of integrating exciting to go elsewhere and have opportunities to learn in social justice in this type of education as well as including other places, but then to come back. systems thinking as an educational tool. Several things • It is challenging for Vermont to attract and keep young panelists would change about the K-12 experience to people who are drawn by cities or not as interested in an increase environmental literacy included: talking about environmental focus. climate change earlier in school, getting kids outside more • Vermont students are exposed to innovation in several often, talking about thinking in systems, using kids as ways in Vermont, in particular through college clubs that positive change makers to transmit messages in to the help students engage on small projects that can create home and broader community. real change. One student was skeptical of higher • Panelists expressed a desire to better connect policy education but decided to study once they discovered makers and students and offering more spaces to talk there could be a practical, experiential way of learning. about politics and ways to involve students and young Technical colleges offer an opportunity to learn the people on community board to increase involvement in newest technologies and give hands-on experience while policy. liberal arts can be connected to natural resources and • There is a great power in education to transform lives environmental responsibility. and tackle problems. • Messaging to young people is critical around advancing the climate economy, but students felt the message

Page 5 SESSION C: STATE ADMINISTRATION MODERATOR: Deb Markowitz, Secretary, Agency of Natural Resources SCRIBE: Ruth Wallman

Summary of Panelist Presentations Chris Cole, Agency of Transportation: There are 5 key legislators who are on board with advancing climate areas we need to focus on: downtowns, sustainability, change goals. coordination, policy, and renewables. We can leverage Noelle McKay, Dept of Housing and Community downtowns for the climate economy. This is important for Development: Leaders in State Government need to work emissions reductions but also to draw millennials who together. After Irene, collaboration has improved and a lot want to live in towns. We can put public money together has been learned about emergency management and with private funds to assist towns. We need to make preparation. We have helped communities prepare through targeted investments in sustainability including car share the VT Economic Resiliency Initiative to protect our for mobility, reducing the need to own private vehicles, economic assets making investments in culverts, flood and investing in rail. We also need to boost biking plains, flood proofing to protect water quality and attract infrastructure and invest in public transit that is subsidized and maintain businesses. We need to focus around land use to be affordable. In terms of policy, carbon pricing, in goals – compact centers surrounded by working lands. We collaboration with other states in the region, is critical. can’t reduce transit efficiency without bike lanes, car share, VTrans is also focused on renewables – all state garages etc. We also need to prioritize around how we spend dollars will be renewable with solar trackers. Vermont has an and recognize the connection between economic justice opportunity to lead, we are small and innovative, but we and environmental justice – we have low income people in have to work together as a team. Vermont that spend 30-60% of their income on housing. Chris Recchia, Department of Public Service: Weatherization will help and upgrading aging housing stock, Leadership and cooperation among state agencies is but there is an upfront cost. We need to work with partners strong around climate change. Vermont has released a and balance our goals and invest money in ways that meet comprehensive energy plan with the goal of 90% multiple goals. renewable by 2050. Act 56 has set renewable energy Chuck Ross, Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets: standards. Being rural presents a challenge, home heating The Agency focused on several relevant actions towards and transportation are carbon generators, so the focus advancing the climate economy including; biofuel with can’t just be on electricity. These efforts should be linked. grass and diesel, biodigesters on farms, building soil Utilities are already working on home weatherization. At health, farm to plate and food systems, farm to school to the local level, city and town leaders have worked with teach informed consumers, farm to institution, efficiency RPCs accomplishing a great deal with solar exceeding the measures on farms, agricultural literacy, looking for new amount of power we ever got from VT Yankee. Utilities markets for products. Some areas to explore as we move and the private sector have been creative – we have over in this direction in the future include working with carbon 16,000 jobs in our clean energy sector. We have many sequestration and creating markets. Vermont has the assets in place – working lands leaders working on these opportunity to lead in ag literacy and innovation but we issues, financial institutions leading on loan programs, and must work together and balance the tradeoffs.

Group Discussion Key Take Aways • Vermont exceptionalism is actually true. We are • Conservation is critical and must come first, but it is hard awesome in Vermont and we recognize the importance to sell – not a sexy subject. In the energy plan the state of this issue because we have a land-based economy. recognizes the need for conservation and local energy • Vermont wants a growth in renewables, but one committees are taking the lead. developer expressed concern that state regulations are • Many utilities are working to support conservation. working against development and turning down projects. Efficiency VT is working with 6 downtowns to promote Panelists responded that they are working hard to find a conservation in an easy way. balance – limiting growth on prime ag soils and wetlands • People want choices. Not all young people want to be in by helping developers map out projects beforehand. towns, some want to be on farms with efficient housing.

Page 6 Some Vermonters want the oil pipeline while others it could be better invested in low income weatherization don’t want to invest in fracked gas. – we need to look at how we spend the money. • Chris Recchia agreed that the pipeline has been • Deb Markowiz added that Vermont is already a part of controversial and frustrating and appreciates that some the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative with millions of people don’t want the pipeline. However, without VT dollars going towards thermal efficiency. The market is Gas willing to invest, all those people who would get the small so it works better to work with our neighbors. gas will use fracked oil rather than gas…VT Gas is • Right of way on highways for solar is being investigated. offering renewable gas from methane digesters too and MA is working on it where a Utility Accommodation Plan Commissioner Recchia is optimistic that will increase. It is being developed. is not a stranded investment. • State agencies are working hard to move forward and • One participants asked about whether a carbon tax collaborate, but can’t be expected to solve the problem. could fund efficiency efforts. Noelle McKay answered Non-profit and private sector folks are a key part of the that the Governor supports a regional approach, but not answer and need to push agencies to continue to work the state going it alone. Currently, there is a lot of together. money available through Efficiency VT. Perhaps some of

SESSION D: CLEAN ENERGY UTILITY LEADERS MODERATOR: Steve Zind, Vermont Public Radio SCRIBE: Amy Alton

Summary of Panelist Presentations Patty Richards, Washington Electric Coop: Washington Kerrick Johnson, VELCO: Vermont Electric Power Electric coop (WEC) is a small member-owned utility Company (VELCO)/VT Transco is the Statewide providing 16 MW with a 100% residential customer base, transmission only company, owned by Vermont’s 17 so there is no cost-shifting between rate structures. WEC electric distribution utilities, and manages over $1 billion in considers itself aa aggregator in how it operates. WEC is 1 assets, since 2012. VELCO Runs the statewide smart-grid of 2 utilities in Vermont that is 100% renewable utilizing project and has developed the VT Weather Analytic center, wind from Sheffield Wind Farm, local hydro, gas from the developed through IBM as a wind and solar forecasting Coventry landfill and other sources. They plan to do their tool. If you know weather, you know load and with this part in working towards the state’s heating and tool you'll know at a statewide level, as a transmission transportation goals. WEC suggests having a centralized company this creates great efficiency. VELCO views fiber as distribution lead while we’re in this transformation space – the future. There is a great need for high speed, highly possible Efficiency VT could play this role. reliable fiber optics for all. Also there needs to be a data repository that can be worked with and tapped into to Mary Powell, Green Mountain Power: Green holistically manage the grid. With regard to climate change Mountain Power (GMP) is a “customer obsessed” utility, economy, people want a universal grid that can work with keenly focused on providing low carbon, low cost, reliable solar, wind, the current grid, etc. power to Vermonters operating 32 hydroelectric facilitates and 2 wind farms. They are the first utility to become a B Christine Hallquist, Vermont Electric Cooperative: Corp. GMP serves 78% of customers in VT; who all want to The Vermont Electric Coop (VEC) is a consumer owned be 100% renewable, BUT who also care about cost. GMP's utility serving rural communities and was the first to put all business model is being changed for us by our customers. assets on GPS which allows members to see usage, GMP looks to completely transform homes with energy meaning cyber security is crucial. VEC is working with efficiency retrofitting and approaching customers Oakridge Laboratory to get minute by minute data to individually. GMP views the future of energy to be much assess grid load. Solar and wind are intermittent and more personal and community based - a more therefore there's a need to integrate more renewables. independent system, and a series of local micro-grids. Additionally, economic justice issues are very important Storage is big part of the future. With this in mind, GMP and during this shift to a climate change economy that announced the offering of the Tesla home battery that can leadership training is critical and we need to showcase that be paired with solar, and worked with Rutland to become there are great jobs in a great environment. Storage is also the Solar City of New England. a critical piece of the climate economy future.

Page 7 Scott Johnstone, VT Energy Investment Corporation: help add a zero to VT's GDP. To shift to a climate change Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) manages economy, there needs to be a price on carbon. This will Efficiency VT which is designed to provide state-wide add revenue for weatherization and move forward on job energy information and create markets – what’s the next creation. We also need to look at buildings as a common big thing? VEIC works beyond the state and has helped good and need to go fix a street, not just a building here remove 4 million tons of carbon. VEIC suggests running an and there. Simplexity as opposed to complexity is the “Add a Zero” campaign. For example, we want to increase answer! Additionally, we need a lot more tolerance for residential retrofits by adding a zero; for finance: add zero codes and standards, and need to revisit the premise from to the amount of outside funding obtained from non rate- 15 years ago that we can’t just focus on electricity – need payers; add a zero to the green jobs in state and that will to deal with transportation which is 46% of carbon.

Group Discussion Key Take Aways • There is an advantage to starting a company in Vermont vs. • Becoming a BCorp has allowed GMP to focus on their New York in terms of utilities’ business models – in VT customers, articulate their values, and adjust how they there is accessibility, and workforce. We have the most look at the future. solar jobs per capita. Additionally, Vermont’s legislation has • Question for WEC: Is there a utility war on solar for early fostered innovation in real-time, helping create new adopters? WEC answer: There is a new rule for net- models and removing barriers to encourage innovation. metering being drafted by the Public Service Board (PSB) • The panel discussed the “tiered structure” and “Tier 3” to address Act 99. Looking at older design tariffs to be from Act 56 legislation. This relates to establishing a floated over, possibly looking to not grandfather aging renewable energy standard and energy transformation infrastructure. The initial draft was just released. program. The tiers intend to change the choices utilities Whatever comes from the PSB, WEC must do. However and people make regarding heating and transportation. it is WEC's approach that if design was under specs at Tier 3 pertains to weatherization and tightening up the time, WEC will fight to honor that. buildings. • Distributed production is here and distributed storage is • There is a critical need to shift away from just selling KW almost here – is anyone doing anything to develop a hours towards being solution-based in this new climate brain trust/intellectual infrastructure for distributed grid economy. We can’t rely on the old protect, preserve, storage management? Answer from panel: Yes, GMP is prevent business model; utilities need to move to stay in doing it. They are launching a micro-grid with batteries, business. If the old business models remain, affluent and creating micro-grid controls, and generating energy as middle class will go off grid while low income will stay on it. close to home as possible. VELCO added that there will • The Act 56 and Tiered approach allows utilities to earn be a challenge with grid-level storage as the their way into a value-based system, meeting the new transformation occurs toward smaller level storage. needs and demands in a way that lowers costs. There There is a need for grid-level storage that works as well. ARE ways to innovate.

SESSION E: VERMONT BUSINESS LEADER FISHBOWL MODERATOR: Ross Sneyd, National Life Group SCRIBE: Laura Koloski

Summary of Panelist Presentations Chad Farrell, Encore Renewable Energy: One of the renewable energy a core focus. We need these young key components of advancing the climate economy would people to participate across the spectrum. be to continue to have strong legislation and regulatory Joe Fusco, Casella Waste Systems: The garbage engagement. The industry will therefore adapt and do business model has had to evolve from “consumption, projects in accordance with public’s desire. Siting of solar consumption, consumption” to a more sustainable projects is an important topic and should be in the public business model. The new model is one based on debate. This will drive investors’ financial interest in this conservation, contribution, and renewal. The worst thing a regard. Education is critical so young people can handle business can do is lose touch with the external participation in this segment of the economy. VTC makes environment. There are opportunities to start or change Page 8 businesses around climate change and the resource limit winter industries. Concept 2 is also updating infrastructure problem. We have to confront the idea that we are faced within the new climate economy. with environmental limits. Businesses have an obligation Mark Foley, Foley Services: Foley services tries to show to marry the ideas of environmental sustainability and cutting edge materials and produce textile goods more economical sustainability. efficiently. Vermont is ahead of the curve in an awareness Judy Geer, Concept 2/Craftsbury Outdoor Center: The perspective. Changes in the industry have to be cross country ski industry requires immediate nimble and economically viable, but it takes a long time because far-sighted changes. This take a balance between industry changes to industry resources takes time to become cost needs and how to make conscious business decisions. effective. Building retrofits are integral, to continue to Winter recreation is shifting in that businesses are now create vibrant downtown communities. We need to invest having to create winter, rather than taking advantage of in communities. How do we help communities leverage winter conditions. We can’t change the weather so we their assets? We need more people to live and work in VT, have to be able to change the systems in how we approach particularly in Southern Vermont.

Group Discussion Key Take Aways • Panelists discussed several of the key changes we can • Lifestyles in Vermont are very carbon intensive. We need make in Vermont. Including implementing in-state tax new models on how to move around the state. How credits for weatherization; greater effort to look to the would businesses like to see this change? Responses soil for carbon sequestration; and better administrative from the panel included; free events, except for parking guidelines and very clear regulatory processes so in order to reduce the number of cars used; increasing businesses can get through the bureaucracy to get use of public transportation; telecommuting is more projects done. common now, which reduces the need to drive; • There are things that we have to be patient about and reinvention of the downtown model, looking at ways to simply can’t make immediate changes because they integrate business and residential so transportation aren’t economically viable. needs decrease through the next generation. Craftsbury • Panelists were asked to comment on the feasibility of a is an out-of-the-way business, so it is difficult as a carbon tax in Vermont. destination based business to reduce transportation o Joe Fusco responded that a carbon tax is not needs. impressive and not creative enough. Instead, we • Businesses have a role to work together to offer need to develop better incentives to live lower incentives. We should look beyond government and carbon lifestyles. It needs to be more attractive, legislatures. right now it is too punitive. For example, would like • There needs to be a partnership between regulation and to see goods and services taxed differently if they business to understand that there is a spectrum on how to are transported via alternative renewable methods. balance these impacts on small and large businesses. There o Judy Geer disagrees that it is too punitive. Rather, are a lot of consequence differences between small and taxation is a reflection of the true cost of carbon. large businesses, so it is important to understand what o Mark Folely responded that Vermont taxation these differences are in order to move forward. doesn’t make sense from a big picture perspective. • In Vermont, we have a branding power. Saying that your Why would we want to disincentivize businesses business is from Vermont is definitely a selling point, from coming to Vermont? especially when you do businesses in other states. o Chad Farrell suggested that we can take leadership • How do we cite development changes in our energy in Vermont, but will it affect large scale change? infrastructure so that people are more willing to accept Probably not. these changes? There is a role to maintain aesthetics so • A lot of small businesses don’t have the infrastructure to that people are more accepting. However, businesses understand how their businesses will change over the dedicated to maintain aesthetics are often at a next 20 years. Don’t have the ability to adapt. Without disadvantage because lowest-cost development often that ability to adapt, we won’t have the kind of wins out. Are we okay having slightly higher costs in communities we want. order to have more aesthetic, lower environmental impact siting?

Page 9 SESSION F: INVESTORS MODERATOR: Jolinda LaClair, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets SCRIBE: Ben Doyle

Summary of Panelist Presentations Beth Pearce, Vermont State Treasurer: On a national through the business energy loan program. We find that to level the Treasurer’s office is involved in sustainability be successful, everyone needs to focus on what they do issues. Local investment is a key to success in this area so best. There is a lot of interest in a comprehensive energy we developed a working group to see how we could program, but there is also a lot of duplication. People facilitate more local investment. This resulted in legislation should leverage relationships rather than invest in that created a ten million dollar line of credit to VEDA. We duplicative efforts. are also funding 6 million dollars in efficiency work. We’ve Will Belongia, VT Community Loan Fund: The done energy retrofitting for affordable housing and have Community Loan Fund is a nonprofit mission driven lender. worked with partners like EAN and VEIC. Another notable It looks to create opportunities for low-income, low-wealth program is our energy retrofits for State Buildings where Vermonters. Works in areas like early childhood, housing, we hope to put savings back into program. Finally, we’ve etc. Over its history, it has loaned 90 million dollars in just issued green bonds for the first time which is a new Vermont. We are a mechanism for Vermonters to invest in market for us. Vermont. We are focused on issues of economic justice Tom Porter, VEDA: VEDA has been involved in the and are investing in working lands enterprises. We lend to climate economy for years through financing bio digesters. farms for ag tourism, power projects, community solar, They were recently tasked by the legislature to do more in and just about all of the compost companies in Vermont. energy efficiency. Now they are one of the premier energy All of that was designed to create healthy communities— lenders. Most investments are in solar, but they have dams with social and economic justice. To achieve those goals as well including new revitalized one in Bennington. One of we are meeting some many of the goals around the our goals is to help banks become comfortable with climate economy. A social driven mission is very financing these types of projects. We do that through compatible with the climate economy. partnering. We also gather data on how the projects Kyle Clark, DesignBook: Energy is a key sector that actually do compared to their projections. 44% exceeded would impact businesses ability to thrive. The challenge is expectations. 87% met projections. This makes for a to demonstrate the need of the project but when that’s predictable market place for people to invest in. done it’s easier. We believe that there is a real market in Chuck Karparis, VSECU: VSECU is a state wide credit investing locally. Local investment cuts out the middleman. union with 675 million in total assets. It’s done energy There’s gross inefficiency in the investment system and work for about ten years. The board adopted an dilution of impact when investment isn’t local. Regulations environmental mission. For the past decade our mantra had challenged our ability to investment locally. Now has been we want to develop financial tools to support the through regulatory changes local investors can invest and green economy. We can’t get enough of these loans. Most identify opportunities—not just problems. Vermont should of our work is on the efficiency side which has been very complement local investing with 401k’s and retirement successful for us. We have developed a suite of products funds. State and federal money should focus on local that any vendor can take and have developed relationships investors who know the project and the communities. with the state and various loan programs to buy down Innovation, leadership, leveraging. interest rates. VSECU also has a relationship with VEIC Group Discussion Key Take Aways • The public sector can support private sector by being • Vertical integration of the financing process is key - additive and not taking away. For example, VEDA NeighborWorks has done this successfully. partners with banks and other lenders. It is all about • To bring entrepreneurs to Vermont, you need to find the how more can be done together. easiest way for entrepreneurs to capitalize their • Financing isn’t the issue – it’s really about marketing and business. education. • The panelists were asked about divestment from fossil fuels. The treasurer’s office is looking at a collaborative

Page 10 approach to look at divestment, but are also looking for lenders can’t really influence changes on specific projects ways to invest and trying to find ways to be innovative There can be a green addendum to an appraisal, but there and collaborative with other states. needs to be work done in that area. There are only 9 green • There are some companies that allow people to direct appraisers in Vermont – it’s not enough. their funds to funds of their choice, including a specific • There are challenges with PACE programs in towns. Part company or green funds. Portfolios need to be further of the work that needs to be done is about developed that invest more in innovative products. demonstrating the success for energy programs for Money managers are unwilling to take the kinds of risk people including low income folks. Getting an appraisal they need to. on an actual energy project is almost impossible. • In terms of accounting for the cost of green building and • There is movement towards supporting local retrofits in appraised value, the green appraisal industry is investments – for example through VSECU’s Milk Money in its infancy. There needs to be more education because program.

SESSION G: LEGISLATORS MODERATOR: Lisa Gosselin, VT Ski and Ride/VT Sports/Addison Independent PANELISTS: Christopher Bray, Chair, Senate Natural Resources | Mary Hooper, Co-Chair, Climate Change Caucus | Tony Klein, Chair, House Natural Resources and Energy | Chris Pearson, Co-Chair Climate Change Caucus SCRIBE: Emily Donaldson

Summary of Panel Discussion What has made a difference in the past, and what should we be working on in the future? • We should consider our energy future as an opportunity • 90% Renewable goal by 2050 is a good course heading to as opposed to a challenge; especially since the old set us on this trajectory. paradigm of fossil fuels is archaic. Two hundred • We need a comprehensive energy plan for steady, thousand early deaths occur in the U.S each year thoughtful development that anticipates, compliments because of breathing in fossil fuels. and harmonizes with existing state goals and values. • We should create energy opportunities locally, although • We need to engage people in order to develop the right it is an engineering challenge and political challenge. solutions. Legislators are the architects for this type of • Recently we have seen huge amounts of transformation development. in the traditional grid. • Vermont is about civility and working with each other – • VT used to be an energy exporter but has transitioned it is for the good of all of us that we are engaging in into an importer. these issues.

What is a piece of legislation that has impacted climate change and what are you currently working on? • Establishing Efficiency Vermont as an efficiency utility • In the transportation sector we are creating a plan to has had the largest impact. For every dollar we put in we address this issue and our willingness to finance and save at least two. We are saving money and reducing support public transit in such a rural state. carbon emissions. • In the appropriations committee, the language around • We need a different energy mindset and more support climate change is changing as different departments for weatherization. think about how they will address the symptoms of • We need land use proposals that allow us to keep our climate change. forests intact and open lands. • The focus of the Climate Caucus is around • Moving forward we should work towards a Carbon weatherization, carbon tax, divestment and pollution tax. transportation. Caucus is working to change what is • The Net-Metering program has raised awareness among possible and ask questions across the board. Vermonters regarding home grown energy, in • We need a long term vision and an understanding of accordance with Vermonter’s independence. what motivates people. • We are working on a forestry bill that will have a great • We are working on divestment of pension funds from impact on improving and keeping environmental health. fossil fuels.

Page 11 Group Discussion Key Take Aways • The fastest growing jobs have come from policy driven hydro has been developed in the state of Vermont build out. Energy that is produced here keeps money in already. A large part of GMP’s portfolio is hydro. There the state. are natural resource questions to be considered in • Legislators are working for Vermonters, and to be developing hydro in accordance with the Clean Water effective as a legislator, you have to be willing to be Act. Another question is what people can do on the unpopular and irritating with colleagues to create individual level as our technology changes to allow tension and make change. people to put more on their own property to change the • On Carbon Tax: We need to focus on the concept as way energy is developed. opposed to the mechanics. If the answer is a revenue • Some people think that solar panels are similar to neutral tax, we need to focus on what those other taxes billboards – there are many locations that would be are to reduce and how they harm individuals and more agreeable to more Vermonters. businesses, then we can fund innovation. The • One panelists shared that all of our fossil fuels come conversation around carbon tax is needed to bring more from out of state. If we tax it, people use less of it and Vermonters and our colleagues on board and make we keep more money in the state. The Carbon Tax could tangible change. be the most fruitful way to build money. The Working • On hydro power: We have challenges with water quality Lands initiative was so successful – we can do the same already that are challenging existing dams. Most of the thing around climate economy by creating a fund.

SESSION H: WORKING LANDS LEADERS MODERATOR: Sarah Waring, Center for an Agricultural Economy SCRIBE: Ginny Cooke

Summary of Panelist Presentations Ellen Kahler, VT Sustainable Jobs Fund: Ellen started Individuals report on these metrics, share savings, and at out by providing some context around why there is no end of year, reduced water and electric use. Efficiency VT specific action item on working lands explaining that in the comes to present to employees for home energy savings, 7 action recommendations, working lands is embedded. and one employee is getting a solar panel. Incorporating The Council’s October session focused around working the management team into changes is important as well as lands and soils. Members talked about the importance of auditing often for governance policies and environmental forestry and forest products affecting climate, helping with impact. An on-site solar array provides all power for the water quality, and soil erosion. Moving forward, networks farm and some for the creamery. A new office this year are what we need to be building – how can farm to plate, was a net zero retrofit with awards from the state. Future forest products, water network, and energy action be outlook – if you want to grow business, you have to earn woven together for intentional climate economy the right to grow and be responsible. development? Around carbon pricing – if we created a Josh Faulkner, UVM Extension: This conference is not pool of funds, it could be used to support better about water quality, but 90% of mitigation for climate will agricultural practices and forestry. Perhaps it could affect water quality – this is one way to market solutions. support carbon sequestration? Businesses putting in There are three ways to look at agriculture: as the victim, a energy efficiency projects, solar panels, digesters, contributor, and the solution to climate change. As victim renewable energy generation, wood chips, opportunities – some of the best soils are in the flood plain where they around model community actions. Additionally, farms are most vulnerable. Ag is also a contributer- energy use need financing for on farm energy – solar, wind, digesters on farms but also a lot of greenhouse gas comes from the – and efficiency. Creative new forms of capital are needed soil. How can farmers turn that around? Build carbon in in these areas. soils and reduce emissions. One idea to do this is a climate Allison Hooper, Vermont Creamery: In manufacturing, smart label – climate smart milk, apples, etc. Farmers we need to have a cultural shift with our staff. VT could be paid to do the right thing. Right behind gas Creamery offered a company wide challenge to incentivize emissions from soil is manure – a lot on farms and in energy savings. Once a week, everyone stops everything to manure pits. We need to capture methane, perhaps with learn about water, electric, trash, and soon, compost. some digesters but that doesn’t work at every scale. Ag is Page 12 also the solution. We should get agriculture involved and David Marvin, Butternut Mountain Farm: Hoped to create incentives for no till and to sink carbon in soils. This find a way to use land in a way that was non consumptive isn’t just for small farms, but big farms are important. – to leave it in better condition. He wasn’t thinking about Those farmers need to play in carbon market as well. sequestration then, but now know that keeping trees in sugar production sequesters 250lbs of carbon per gallon of Chris Brooks, VT Pellet Company: No one thinks of syrup providing a negative carbon footprint. Now, I want loggers as green energy workers. It is up to us to announce processing to become net zero and evaporate sap with what we do and how we do it. VT Pellet Company is a VT solar energy. There is room for more production of maple community scale mill with all products in a 30 mile syrup – the 1.4 million gallons produced last year in VT is recharge area. This limits fossil fuels as we’re close to the only a tiny fraction of forest used. There are models for source and mitigates travel cost. 2nd mill is a repurposed using traditional forestry. A lot of forestry is extractive, but old paper mill, now generating hydro – also a 30 mile it doesn’t have to be that way – the highest value can be recharge area, wood chips for heat, waste heat produces removed and still be gentle on the land. We need to do electricity. We need to think different about how we do it what we are doing with a land ethic, think about and get there. We can go out looking for people, but we communities we live with, human and biological. There is have to provide incentive, money – an economic garden. no conflict – good conservation and good economy can Assistance with business planning from sustainable jobs work together. fund to support start ups and improve access to capital, business incubators and incentives for entrepreneurs.

Group Discussion Key Take Aways • Panelists were asked their advice on folks in food innovative approaches and putting it in a format for business who are getting started whose costs seem too shared learning. Additionally, panelists expressed a need big and climate mitigation isn’t a priority? for more extension agents to help connect farmers with o David Marvin – we are lucky to be in Vermont. We what they need. didn’t have a lot of money to start, but we had time • Participants expressed a desire for farmers to have to get involved in the community and connect with access to a market to get credits and incentives for support networks. carbon sequestration to facilitate mitigation. o Allison Hooper – The customer wants you to do • Participants expressed a desire for more representation in these things. If you are not paying attention to the final climate change economy report. It should be an action brand, you will be overlooked. People are buying item to put on paper that working lands is a commitment with care. and we need to prioritize research and programs to create o Chris Brooks – people undersell themselves. It is jobs, innovate, and improve food security. important to charge enough for your product in • Carbon pricing is relatively doable – it is easy to directly order to be sustainable. measure and can have confidence in reduction. Once • How do we translate this work to the smaller scale and businesses start paying for carbon, then they will start to connect to communities? Panelists responded that this account for it in their bottom line. speaks to the point of marketing VT as a national climate • Wilderness is also working lands. It would be a disservice economy leader. We don’t do good enough capturing to all species and ourselves if we don’t recognize that.

Page 13 Afternoon Breakout Sessions: Action

SESSION I: SUPPORTING COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CLIMATE ECONOMY SOLUTIONS FACILITATOR: Jenna Whitson, VT Council on Rural Development SCRIBE: Katie Williamson

What is currently happening in this arena? • Economic vitality as a combined community effort. • Sustainable Woodstock is looking for solutions for long- • Transportation and affordable housing are a huge term volunteer engagement. Weatherization is a tough problem for the Mad River Valley in drawing families and job and takes a lot of work to get it done. entrepreneurs. • Covered bridge to LEDs in Dummerston. • In Brattleboro, focus is around workforce development • In Dummerston, a survey of town energy use focused on and retrofitting existing buildings in towns. resilience proved valuable at select board level. • There is a net zero initiative in Montpelier, but it has no • SunCommon offers community and education outreach fiscal support at the state or local level. around renewable energy and has a residential solar • Housing is also a challenge in Montpelier with less than program and community solar program. They can be a 1% available. resource for central VT and beyond. • It is challenging to create parking lots that can provide • Central VT waste has a goal for zero-waste and using for the workforce due to land resources and laws. everything, recycling and composting. • The Resilient VT network is a resource for communities • VECAN at VNRC sees more opportunities at the local and is working to identifying steps for economic level to mobilize people and offers a framework for resilience. The network is helping organizations and non- organizations to work better together. profits connect to community success stories and • Vermod buildings are an interesting development in organizing teams across disciplines to work on resilience efficient, Affordable housing. at the local level. • There are a lot of reductions we can make in agriculture, • In Hartford/White River Jct. they are struggling to get reducing plowing, sequestering carbon, taking care of attention at the local level for clean energy projects. the soil, a lot of energy concerns starting with farms. People keep saying there is not enough money for clean • There are opportunities for local colleges and high energy projects but it is just not allocated appropriately. schools to work on hands-on community projects. • So many organizations are working on the same things. • Community Energy Committee in Randolph worked with It is hard to know who the big players are. Solarize VT to develop home a energy plan. • Transition Town efforts. • Donella Meadows Institute is offering educational • How do we create solutions for and connect with people modules/workshops on systems thinking to schools and who aren’t already a part of the climate discussions? (hopefully) organizations and are looking into writing • Efficiency VT is helping local governments improve workshops for community members on systems writing energy efficiency, street lights, building efficiency, techniques in the style of Dana Meadows’ columns. They community engagement and education. are also helping with New Economies week and Climate and Energy Upper Valley initiative.

What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • We should put a price on carbon and funnel that money • Fund programs to help agriculture and oil/gas to into energy programs, specifically agriculture and transition to alternatives (use carbon tax). weatherization to increase affordability of efficiency and • Promote low-impact managed forests and wilderness: energy developments. create tax credits for organizations that responsibly • Increase community engagement in public policy. manage forests/sequester carbon and tax penalties for • Tackle affordability of summer programs and camps for organizations that emit excessive carbon. students. Page 14 • Create value-added market for forests and forest • Advocate and help farms to build infrastructure that products in local economies. provide environmental services, providing incentives for • Focus on consumer waste reduction first then on farms to better manage resources. recycling and composting. • Get regional level staff in planning commissions focused • Conduct an inventory analysis and engagement catalog on energy resilience. on who is doing what and where to allow community • Host community led planning sessions that accurately members to get involved in a focused way. Connect represent community needs of the majority, not just community better to state-wide resources and minority interests. organizations. • Tap into the design and art community and use design • Create a vehicle to share success stories and results to models, visuals of plans, using artists and landscape connect with others and spread strategies. designers to help concretize abstract plans to show • Make a “Vermont energy leadership academy” to train community members what projects will look like when and strengthen leaders in renewable energy. complete. • Get more college students involved in hands-on projects • Create places and resources for finding affordable and in the community. accessible energy literacy information. • Create a job bank for farmers to increase visibility of • Write a common vision for educators, businesses, and opportunities. non-profits. • Create a mentorship program for young entrepreneurs • Think of VT as a large city and orient around a central, interested in climate action business plans. statewide vision. • Focus on niche production rather than commodities in • Focus on low-income and fixed income population. For businesses. example, build an efficient energy mobile home park. • Encourage low-energy demanding businesses to come to • Attract young people to the trades through public and our area. private support such as landscape design, architecture, • Consider more public works projects for the job market. plumbing, electricians, and energy retrofitting. • Create public-private partnerships to create a difference • Increase the percentage of teachers who can teach food in economic development. growing and making that accessible to everyone outside • Look outside of the US for ideas that have worked, of formal education. especially in the EU. • Create a DIY solutions guide for individuals around • Encourage solarize program model that focuses on projects like weatherization. evaluation process of services that can benefit local • Promote systems thinking classes, trainings, and workshops businesses by promoting best practices. in schools, businesses, and non-profits as a way to combine related efforts in resiliency and climate action.

SESSION J: DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCIES AND SYSTEMS CHANGE FACILITATOR: Karen Glitman, VT Energy Investment Corporation SCRIBE: Kate Whelley McCabe

What is currently happening in this arena? • The change point is when we start to look at designing planning walk and bike to school days on the first communities so that they are walk-able and bike-able Wednesday of every month. While you have those both for youth and people wanting to age in place and people at the table, you can talk sidewalks, crosswalks, everyone in between. We miss an opportunity to and rotaries. We are also discussing an airport project educate kids about sustainable transportation after kids and a train project. are little and before driving lessons. We need to talk • The Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan calls for outside of our silos. I am trying to be a healthy living quadrupling inner city ridership; we need new trains, advocate as well as walk-bike advocate. and an extension of the Ethan Allen. That’s done. The • In Middlebury, we work with Local Motion and the state is looking to extend The Vermonter to Montreal. elementary school to do a Safe Routes Team, on which This will attract long distance riders. The Vermonter will we have representation from police, public works, start carrying bikes this spring. We’ve been thinking school administration, the state health office. We are

Page 15 about commuter rails—how to make that happen—and year it is the last week of September/first week of exciting things will bear fruit soon. October. This year, there is a heavier push for K-12 • A participant from Tunbridge uses vegetable oil to power schools; we are looking at the congestion around getting automobiles. It’s not a long term solution, but in the to schools. The idea is to engage the school community short term automobiles can be powered by biodiesel. in a deeper, sustainable way. The state should be looking at it from the short-term • One participant lives in St. Albans, and is amazed that perspective. It also uses nasty oil waste that would have nobody seems to carpool. There is an attitude that gone to the landfill. busses are “for poor people” among youth in St. Albans. • We are fortunate to have VEIC here focused on Nobody goes to Montreal for the day. But if there was a transportation efficiency and thinking about integrating push to get people on the trains, maybe for free, go to electric vehicles (EV). EV adoption is still slow, and now Montreal, and come home. Vermonters are that gas is cheap, demand is down. But still, it is independent. Some of it is education and opportunity. probably cheaper to drive EV even with cheap gas. People are busy. We need to get them on the train so Vermont has a group preparing to make Vermont EV they can see. friendly. Another group is looking to integrate EV to the • The Transportation Committee in the Vermont grid. There is lots going on across the country, like in Legislature is looking at the need for a culture change. New York City, where people are looking at regulatory There is a concept about each person and their issues. individual vehicles. Idling is prohibited, but how do we • Companies across the country are thinking about enforce it? The Shumlin Administration has been good advances such as autonomous cars and other technology about promoting transportation options. Now our solutions. Some are skeptical about the vision of priorities are rail, biking, and foot transportation. But we business people, but others embrace the change saying have to keep up our roads and bridges too. It is a that the Google Car hasn’t crashed into anything; rather, challenge to come up with funding. it is crashed into. One of the reasons people decide not • Talk about culture change: people will drive around the to walk or ride is that they are concerned for safety. block in my town! I am known as “the one who walks.” Autonomous vehicles are safe for others on the road; What is a way to wake people up to the fact that they this may invite people to make short trips by other can walk? modes. • There are things like the national bike challenge; we’re • There has been a lot of increase in van pooling especially not doing it in Vermont. We tried a Vermont walk/bike with rural employers having a hard time hiring with the challenge last year and giving people gift certificates to low unemployment rate, and at resorts, because of low places they actually wanted to go (like IHOP). We need pay. Bridj is one pilot project the state is looking at for a to make sure that we aren’t just talking to the people in rural application. Ridesharing is big with Go Vermont and our own communities. We do an everyday biking you get a guaranteed ride home. This helps people to workshop instead of “biking commuter.” We had 500 feel secure. There is a Way to Go Commuter Challenge in adults in Vermont last year because we phrased it in a partnership with VEIC and others. This is an opportunity way that talked to people where they are. to take an alternative to a single occupancy vehicle. This

What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • We need top-down incentives. When gas was $4.50 per obstacles were time and security. They cherish the car gallon, the sale of hybrid vehicles was huge. So, people time with their kids because that is the only time they do respond when prices reflect the true social cost of have a captive audience. Also, there is not enough time carbon. We aren’t going to see things change until in the day, parents are not wanting their kids on long there’s a carbon tax. rides on the bus. Also, there is safety. Kids on busses • We need to meet people where they are. It is really hard can’t manage themselves. We are looking at combining to live in Vermont without a car. Even the extremely routes to cut ride time. We need adult monitors on bus. motivated can’t physically do it. We need to ask people National Life is a good model on how to incentivize what is getting in their way. There has to be a reason people to car pool (financial incentives, and premier that people behave the way they do—we need to find parking incentives). out why. • Ludlow put a successful model in place by looking at empty • Middlebury talked to parents about why they weren’t seats and changing the bus so it is not a “school bus” carpooling or having kids use the bus. The two biggest anymore. We should do a study on transportation and Page 16 synthesizing where people are travelling as if we were dollar to drop off a vanload. We need people to be not going to put out an RFP to Uber and Lyft and have options so afraid. that are going improve efficiency and address carbon. • One thing that would help is to honor or celebrate good • The Stagecoach operates vans. Some local employers things that are happening. Towns don’t know about reimburse employees for using it. We drive a lot in what each other are doing. Maybe people in this room Vermont. We can use what transit we already have and can be transportation advocates. 60% of downtowns are try to change it. Also, personal interaction works. It can in surface parking. What’s happening in Middlebury be uncomfortable. But you should talk to people. Explain could happen in St. Albans. why you don’t fly. Talk about the positive experiences • Energy legislation passed last year means that utility that you have when taking alternative transportation. companies will be looking for ways to reduce carbon. Being a public advocate for your choices gives people a This community has to come up with where the leverage little push in the right direction. points are and to tell the utilities what we need. • I thought it would be great to have centralized taxi hubs • The critical mass is what is important; when people see for satellite shuttling to transportation networks. others biking . . . the education piece is a big part in that Montpelier has saved 200 parking places by giving half- when you are in middle school it’s cool to bike and then price bus tickets to state workers. you forget. Educating people on the road is important • If you look at the market share of alternatives to car, it is too. If the infrastructure is not there, people aren’t going biking that outperforms public transportation. If you to armor up to get out there and bike. People need to look elsewhere, you have places that have set ambitious feel safe and a part of a larger system. goals regarding biking (Portland, Oregon and New York • The bike is the future of transportation. It is single- City). We could set a 25% goal for Burlington and its occupancy, cheap, and efficient. It is not supported with surrounds. Then we say, with that goal, what do we infrastructure. need to do? We probably need to focus on • Middlebury just rewrote our bike ordinance to be infrastructure. “bicycle and ride-able devices.” These devices have • People run on fear; the principal who is afraid of liability futures and are electric and will overcome the barriers of won’t promote walking to school. Moms could charge a hills, weather, etc.

SESSION K: ADVANCING COMPREHENSIVE HOME EFFICIENCIES: WEATHERIZATION, ENERGY RETROFITS, AND NEXT STAGE EFFICIENCIES FACILITATOR: Scott Johnstone, VT Energy Investment Corporation SCRIBE: Morgan Easton

What is currently happening in this arena? • One challenge is apartment buildings – trying to make ways to make the retrofits work within historic buildings comprehensive solutions to retrofits in affordable codes so renewables aren’t wasted. housing. • Funds for lead paint renewal is a challenge. • Vermont Home Energy challenge was a huge success in • There are no financial packages to present to customers one town. A lot of folks wanted to share what they had with lower interest rates. These solutions are moving already done, but there is still plenty of room for home beyond heat pumps and solar into broadening projects weatherization. further. • The Windham Housing Trust worked with 3E Thermal • For low-income weatherization, the process starts with and are now looking at how, through the Clean Energy coaching to look at the big plan and looking at Development Fund, working on net metering for housing comprehensive solutions – making it a process that as a next step. It is more complicated than it should be works for the customer. for nonprofits to do net metering. • In the geothermal sector, work is going on to try to set • Green Mountain College students have developed a up financing and federal tax credits for long term comprehensive plan for net zero energy at the school, geothermal, including weatherization which is critical. but are having a problem with the historic value of the • Senator Sanders has proposed legislation that would buildings and making buildings less leaky, but looking for make tax credits refundable.

Page 17

What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • We need a dedicated source of funding, such as carbon advance faster. A clearinghouse of information where pricing, to support weatherization programs. people can identify programs that fit with their • The state could easily fix the affordability challenge and the situations. weatherization challenge with a carbon tax, or through • Consumers need an independent advisor helping them carbon charges on utilities, loan programs, etc. We are a through the process – an energy coach to advise them, small state and these things are manageable. Those and not just try to sell them products. without the ability to repay we need to find the sources • We need job training for energy coaches to have a and allocate them to the buildings that need work. deeper knowledge of what is available. • Marlboro College has done a lot of improving energy • We need direct funding for weatherization in low efficiency, but it is invisible unless you pay the bills. income housing and it needs to be available to everyone When we think about building new buildings, how can – not just “energy geeks.” we have some other recognition that doesn’t cost as • We should create a smart incentive structure and work much as LEED certification? on the policy and regulatory side to look at the standard • LEED is a matter of choosing the right materials and the of energy that a building must be at to be supported to rights steps – it doesn’t have to cost more. take the next step. • Efficiency VT is taking the lead in making the home • Should the Public Service Board be directing utilities to energy score happen and addressing the cost of somehow do more energy audits? Should we make it so efficiency recognition. that anyone can pick up the phone and call the utilities • We need labeling on all buildings. to provide energy audits? • VYCC is connecting this with statistics of the number of • The thing that motivates most people is comfort and jobs in this sector, but also looking at where the prestige. How can we frame the issue to make it more education is coming from. We need adequate workforce appealing? We need a more refined marketing strategy. development. • Systems for EV and PV should go together. When sizing a • We need more public information for people to panel, it should take into consideration an EV. understand where their house needs improvement and • We also need to include transportation in the how to do it. conversation to be thinking about this in a • Many of these problems come down to smart growth. comprehensive way. Look at ride sharing, Uber, public Historic buildings present a challenge. We need to remove transportation, EVs. Make public transportation sexy! some barriers to reach efficiency goals and make these • Should we hop in the lead on storage, or wait 5 years buildings more affordable. We need to convene with until it is better developed? historic preservation to bring renewables into the picture. • There is a deep need for financial counseling. • We need to make the market for efficiency and home retrofit a cohesive language that will allow this to

SESSION L: GROWING CLIMATE ECONOMY ENTREPRENEURS FACILITATOR: Ellen Kahler, VT Sustainable Jobs Fund SCRIBE: Emily Donaldson

What is currently happening in this arena? • Land development regulations. • Incredible richness with marketing opportunities and • The VT Sustainable Jobs Fund. branding programs. • Mentorship programs • Local food system and farm and food economy is an • The enabling institutions and promoting the Vermont interesting nexus. Brand. Asset management from a systems point of view. • The Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) • Research and development tax credits for VT. would be even better if entrepreneurs could build • Weatherization programs. networks. • Public transportation. • Entrepreneurs need to be connected and not beaten • Partnering and enterprise development with Vermont’s down. universities. • A lot of people want to work and if we create opportunities we can strengthen the Vermont Climate Economy. Page 18 What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • We could build an incubator space to support climate • Deal with regulatory issues. economy businesses. • Develop hubs where people have access to the land. • Map our assets to build the network of entrepreneurs. • Focus on affordable housing and energy systems. • Hold a series of round tables or summits to talk about • Provide more business and entrepreneurial education in specific subjects and share ideas and information to help high school to encourage kids to think about their future others get started or encourage partnerships. at a young age. • Change the regulations for small producers vs. large • Build a network of libraries and colleges as an incubator corporate farms. space. • Build physical spaces for entrepreneurs to work in, and • Develop accounting collectives to help entrepreneurs. foster accelerators to bring businesses to scale faster. • How we can add value to the Vermont food brand? • Clear administrative timelines, criteria, and regulatory • We need to create networks of people, organizations, frameworks to help foster growth. and businesses. • Peek pitch – Give elevator pitches to potential investors. • We should help entrepreneurs help each other by Put a pitch event together specifically for energy connecting them to collaborate on larger scale projects. purposes and the Climate Economy.

SESSION M: PROMOTING EFFICIENCIES AND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE COLLABORATION FACILITATOR: Andi Colnes, Energy Action Network SCRIBE: Amy Alton

What is currently happening in this arena? • There are Green Economy efforts underway in Southern legislation passed that allows for many tools to be used, Vermont. The Green Economy Information Hub/Cluster such as the RUSs. Project, encompasses a 4 county region including • The issue is loan vs. grant. People don't want to borrow Bennington and Windham Counties in Vermont. It is money; they're debt averse. Its fear and uncertainty that designed to engage and include community, business, and stop people from moving on this. We need to boil it nonprofit leaders from the region that are involved or have down to showcase and share/sell the benefits. expertise in green economy to help figure out how to make • With regard to the uncertainty issue and shrinking of capital accessible in the region. They are looking at new funds moving forward, there's a huge increase in tools in the area of appraisal and finance and are also demand, while cost of solar projects decreasing. looking at tools outside of energy, for example, in However, there's currently strong incentive programs – securitization, how high cost capital has been financed. 30% on fed side. For financing purposes, we need to • We need to break down barriers and limitations to know what incentives will be in the future, which will financing. There's too much rigidity in some of the help determine long term certainty. current funding mechanisms. For example, through • Overly prescriptive measures for loans credit challenges Efficiency VT and others, procedures to get funding are are current barriers. There's a lot of out-of-state capital, very onerous and sometimes too specific. looking for places to deploy, and there's lots of takers • VSECU offers several funding options with a lot of flexibility. who don't meet the credit requirements (e.g. missing They offer the V Green suite with both secured and matching back capital). Can we use the collective need of unsecured loans. Additionally, they offer the V Heat the state to go after out of state dollars which we Program which has heat-saving loans. Some of those have currently can't get due to small size of efforts? strict guidelines and qualified contractors as recognized • Regarding financing for energy efficiency, there's extremely under the Energy Efficiency Network (EEN). small default rates (tenth of a %), this makes it easy to get • USDA funding is available for rural utilities service (RUS). money. Pilots are underway to determine loan viability This new program has not been implemented yet but when you take away the need for collateral. The challenge has an estimated $46 million available. is that there's a cap of $35K and 5yrs, and super low • Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) interest rates. We need to be doing this collaboratively. offers flexible commercial loans. VEDA got new

Page 19 • We need to determine people's capacity to do this; not contract for geothermal. Solar business model to everyone has the tax appetite. For example, people got geothermal funding? For energy efficiency, Efficiency VT into a same as cash loan thru their solar company. monetizes savings where half goes to consumer, half Everything was fine until they didn't get a return and goes to financing sources. then got hit with a high interest rate loan on the • How do we shift policy to be more customer oriented? amount. For people of modest means, how can the loans How can consumers generate revenue to pay these be effectively structured? loans? Ultimately, we are turning consumers into • Some companies offer 3 options: lease, lease-to-buy, producers of some sort. buy. We need to mix and match to meet people’s needs. • There are community solar loans. For example, the • We are missing the equivalent of the power-purchase Windham Solar loan which offers credit home agreement. There's no mechanism for a long-dated enhancement.

What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • Establishing a carbon tax would help provide revenue for • Look into community ownership of renewables - not just investments. buying energy from the array but buying shares of the • We need efforts to keep solar credits in the state. land. Therefore, people have a stake in the land, project, • We should use aggregation of VT as a function of the or array. collaboration. VT projects are typically too small • Look into the viability of Energy Savings Performance individually to get necessary funds. Contracting (ESPC) in the state. Creating or using • Use the Energy Committees. VT is unique that we have community Energy Service Companies (ESCOs). energy committees. Can we use those to aggregate • Help determine the real challenges and barriers for projects/efforts? There's community energy dashboards getting dollars for energy efficiency as compared to under development. What mechanisms exists to work renewable projects. through committees? We could have them create • We need a door-to-door approach to improve demand relationships with Energy Service Companies (ESCOs). And to show people the range of opportunities that work have them make the case for benefits, alleviate fears of best for them. Credit problems will work themselves out borrowing. Have committees step in to help build demand. – we need to demonstrate demand.

SESSION N: PROMOTING STANDARDS, REGULATIONS, & INCENTIVES FOR CLEAN ENERGY EFFICIENCIES FACILITATOR: Kathy Beyer, Housing Vermont SCRIBE: Ginny Cooke

What is currently happening in this arena? • Vermont is a leader in development housing and • Act 250 will stay in our development structure, but it businesses in village centers. was written long ago and is not serving our needs as well • There are a lot of old, leaky buildings in downtowns as it could. which could be low hanging fruit for gains in thermal • Mitigation is the focus at the Summit but adaptation is efficiency. critical because future generations are affected. Irene put • Developing in village centers is expensive. Unless you’re Vermont on climate adaptation and hazard mitigation. For in Burlington, there is not market. Incentives are every $1 spent on Irene 14 cents went to create mitigation important and Act 250 exemptions. projects for the future. It is not sufficient to just have • Efficiency VT has been involved in intensive efforts to incentives, we need to have regulations to ensure proper bring incentive awareness to businesses holding day long planning and hazard mitigation. workshops to educate downtown areas and looking to • Currently, new construction needs to sign a certificate. report savings to keep track of performance, help not 70-80% of buildings comply with code after certification. spread themselves too thin. Before sheet rock is put in, there is a chance to see if • Regulations create disincentives and are a burden. energy code is met. • Private developers don’t mind rules as long as they are • There is more inspection in other states than in clear; if they know about exemptions, they will jump on it. Vermont. There is more pushback from inspectors than

Page 20 from home owners. To go from no inspection to full on • Tried to get PACE in Putney but it was disappointing and may be difficult. was hard to make sense of it. • We need to be realistic about cost, enforcement, and • There are 4 projects in Vermont that have used PACE and the education of inspectors in Vermont. 30 towns have had something to do with it. The rates are • Green Mountain Power has used to the meter financing. too high, there is a lot of paperwork, and in current low If you make energy improvements, financing of energy interest rate environment it doesn’t stand out. improvements stay with home.

What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • Zoning and land use regulations need to pay attention to lead and asbestos. It is important to have a label and get climate at the local level. mortgage banks and insurance companies involved. • We should elevate towns to just above flood plain. • Is a home label better as market driven or as a law? It • We need to educate town officials that when natural needs to be standardized like cars. disasters occur, we can start from a blank slate. • The Public Service Board has put out a rule around no • Energy code for houses to allow any building to be cap on net metering of utilities. Act 99 draft rule is an evaluated. It should be a disclosure that goes along with ongoing process.

SESSION O: PRICING CARBON FACILITATOR: Paul Costello, VT Council on Rural Development SCRIBE: Gina Fiorile

What is currently happening in this arena? • More creative solutions are needed in the report. The At some point in the next 10 years people will be buying report is a catch-all “all of the above”, taxing, incentives, new cars; the beauty of this is that the economy will be capping. more focused on responsible decision-making by • The principals of energy independent VT are looking at consumers. ways to create jobs and grow the economy and finding • To those who say we can’t have a tax, it is important to ways to prioritize low income workers and family so that note that we’re already being taxed, it’s just a shift in it benefits them through an Energy Independence Fund, who is being taxed. those who need it the most will get the most help from • It is unusual for a community to come together and this campaign. Revenue would go 10% towards demand an extra tax. investment, 90% towards tax cuts to reduce tax on work, • We must weatherize homes. employment, and sales. Rebates would be available • Act 56 includes a lot about moving in a strategic way based on the number of full time employees working at toward electrification and reducing electric rates, the a business. Energy Independence Fund would parallel the work • There some tax misinformation. In the state house there between Act 56 and other sectors. As a part of Energy is still fear of the “t” word (tax), we must get over that. Independent VT, there are many businesses and • There are currently two different bills introduced to organizations coming together to think about this. approach carbon taxation at the Statehouse. • The work should focus on the folks that are going to be • If we look 10 years down the line the decrease in price of very sensitive to any perception of a tax. Messaging is gasoline might pose some problems. very critical to portray the fact that VT is aiming to have • By making significant investments in home retrofits we this unprecedented tax so that it is less jarring to those can save money even if gas prices go up because we’ll who may be opposed to the tax. It must be rolled out still be using less. with the story of why it is good. • Both the bills and REMI analysis are not looking to • The largest sources of emissions come from what we change the cost of electricity. As we’re using less and consume, so how do we incorporate the content of less fossil fuels the tax will increase more and more. carbon materials to what we consume? • Auto sales over the past 10 years show the impact of • The reason for a drop in cost of electricity has been prices. Ten years ago it was all about SUVs, the price of because of marketing. We have to market it right. gas caused a shift in the market toward smaller cars, • The low price of fossil fuels is not the only barrier to when people have the possibility of looking in the future pricing carbon. We can use the revenue to invest in new and seeing what’s happening they’d be making choices.

Page 21 technologies and once that is done we could then • Seventh Generation has implemented their own internal reduce the carbon tax once technologies are established. carbon tax because they haven’t seen the initiative from • We may not have the infrastructure to achieve our local government to do so. weatherization goals. It is also extremely difficult to weatherize businesses and homes.

What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • Incentivize carbon rather than tax it. Put a negative into • Focus on disparity between different people with a positive. different socioeconomic statuses. • The only way to implement tax is to find a way to • Discuss impact on farms more because farmers are so measure it. We have to develop a system to measure it. important in Vermont. • Tax new installations. • It is important to recognize that politics shouldn’t divide • Model our efforts after what’s been done in British this issue. Columbia. • Bernie Sanders is really the only one who has proposed a • Change our tax structure so that it makes sense for federal carbon tax. We could be a future federal leader Vermont not fossil fuel companies. in carbon taxing is implemented in Vermont. • The report includes a “one stop shop” for weatherization that should be followed.

SESSION P: MARKETING VERMONT AS A NATIONAL CLIMATE ECONOMY LEADER FACILITATOR: Dennise Casey, Casey, Inc. SCRIBE: Ruth Wallman

What is currently happening in this arena? • In Middlebury a group promotes telecommuting for sustainable ag, internships and job shadowing, all of young people who may be employed in cities but wish to which lead young people to these jobs. live in VT. • The VT Higher Ed Food Systems Consortium markets • ACCD is working with tourism to develop a statewide Vermont’s ag programs across the US. There is economic development campaign. They have hired a opportunity with VT institutions to market together to NYC marketing agency and Spike to position VT to appeal young people. It could be a way to get beyond the to tourists. Farm to Plate marketing could also link to competition, to get these young people to stay here and climate economy efforts. create jobs. • VT known as a green state. Efficiency VT and VEIC have • We need to attract people who want to stay here, not national recognition. We have other energy leaders that just come here. Not just the young folks coming to ski, promote renewables that could help with discussion but who also want to be here. about carbon tax. Our entrepreneurial spirit is also • Attracting people who have a connection here already, getting notice. for example through college or family, would be a good • How do we attract tech jobs? We have a green tactic. environment - businesses could locate downtown and • We are experimenting with food sustainability at Green put VT on map for a place to bring green jobs. VT Mountain College which should attract young people. Technology Alliance is working to attract young people • We have Bernie, who made climate change a top issue. for jobs and are doing some of this marketing now. It should help bring in young people, also Bill McKibben, • There is a labor workforce and training fund. Our higher 350.org, all of which market VT in other ways. This offers education institutions have academic programs in unconscious marketing.

What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • Are we saying we want to attract only youth? How about respond to a different marketing strategy? VT is mid-level people who can afford to live here, who will expensive.

Page 22 • Can we keep and retain young people already here? • Food is a key issue. We have a regionally sustainable • We should connect the dots in PR and marketing. food system. Food is a niche, an attractor. People move • The ACCD campaign will focus on the mid-level folks, not where there is good food. just the young people working remotely. We need to be • CEDS mentioned an alternative to GDP. We can measure collaborative and not be in silos. success using the Genuine Progress Indicator, which • VT may be expensive but taxes pay for really good penalizes environmental degradation. VT is one of 18 schools. states that measures GPI. This could be used in a • There is no ethnic diversity in this room. Demographic marketing campaign. problem transcends others. There are people in the US • We have authenticity. Bernie, and VT, are authentic. We who we aren’t attracting yet, and we need them. need to walk the walk on climate solutions. If we can • We have huge brands here like 7th Generation and Ben reduce fossil fuel burning, kids would have less asthma. & Jerrys who bring notoriety to VT. We could piggy back British Columbia saw a tech boom by putting a tax on on their marketing. what we don’t want and eliminated business tax. • We need multiple goals with multiple strategies and to • We should attract goods and services we can get coordinate and work together. digitally. • Good ideas are fine, but we also need to think about • We need to communicate our success as a climate audience. How do you get businesses to move that don’t leader. What is the message? want to? We can’t give them money to move. • How do we mimic ecological design in video? Common • We need to define what it means to be a national distribution of content from VT would leverage the climate economy leader. collective voice. • It costs less to live here than in FL, even though taxes are • Carbon footprint is consumption of goods from far away higher. People moving here will have had a more – food, clothes. Can we grow the economy and make it expensive lifestyle elsewhere. sustainable in itself? • It is more expensive here, but we have community, local • Career fairs are attracting diverse people. Schools should politics, local school, and more involvment in their expose students to more diverse experiences, not just community. You gain a way of life when you move here. cows and tourism. We should sell that package. Climate economy • We need to reconfigure our value system and move businesses will be interested to come here if they see away from oil. Carbon tax is a signal that we are not how people value living here. going back to oil, fossil fuels, etc. • Diversity is a problem. We need to tackle that. • We need to define why are we marketing and what is • Retaining and investing what you have is less expensive the measurable outcome. Is the target growth? More than trying to attract new businesses. So invest in what young people? you have first. You have to show that there is a market in • We should amplify our voice and leverage all the things which to make money in this rural state. we are doing well in one place to maximize other opportunities.

SESSION Q: BUILDING A NATIONAL CLIMATE ECONOMY SUMMIT IN VERMONT FACILITATOR: Nate Hausman, Clean Energy Group SCRIBE: Ben Doyle

What is currently happening in this arena? • Some plans are already underway. VCRD is considering a • There are innovative examples available in Green two-day summit where people take turns showing off Mountain Power, VTC’s bio-digester, VELCO, Washington Vermont and also hear from national perspectives. Electric, etc. • Vermont has an amazing group of utilities and is a leader • There are summits in Vermont that could serve as nationally. They have relationships with Tesla and other models, for example, Shelburne Farms’ slow money companies who have the ability to test new technology. event where there are “pitching sessions” to promote Those and other resources could be called upon for a projects in Vermont. national summit. • Vermont is really good about having conversations at a high level, so a summit should highlight these kinds of

Page 23 conversations (solar sighting issues, utilities). We excel • Vermont models democracy well. Our congressional when we ask people to solve problems. contingent is accessible. This could be something that a • The person who is running the youth climate change summit highlights. summit is a huge asset. VEEP program can provide • Organizations in Vermont have a number of tools for leadership. success that could be shared. For example, how to • Al Gore spoke to a participant’s company about the leverage federal assistance or develop collective impact possibilities in the green economy and was very networks. inspiring/motivational. He’s the kind of person who is • Waterbury Vermont should host this: it’s the home of one degree of separation from being a summit like this. Sun Common and the Waterbury State Office is the • Institute for Sustainable Communities is an important greenest in the country. resource that should be engaged in this effort. They are • There is a tension between cutting-edge innovation and a respected worldwide leader on sustainability. a humanistic approach to development that can be • Vermont is a leader in the post-Irene world. People look negotiated and branded in Vermont. to us for guidance around issues of resiliency and • Lots of Vermonters are engaged in a conversation about disaster recovery. economic justice and should participate in this conversation as well.

What potential action steps can advance Vermont as a center of climate change solutions, innovation, and economic development? • We need to identify who the leaders in this area are • Having Vermont as the location of this conversation both on the state and national level. doesn’t mean that it has to be all about Vermont. We • This is a branding opportunity for the state around might learn from other states—particularly around economic development. That’s why it should happen. strands like transportation. We should try to find people But we need to identify the audience. Is the audience who can model. Get leaders who have already crafted a young people or industry? path forward. • There could be a component for people to look for jobs. • Get the big names and just let it happen in Vermont— • The agenda needs to be very broad and very forward that will be enough. thinking. • This shouldn’t be a one-time deal. Let’s do this every • We should answer this question: Is the goal of the year! If so, where is it? In VT annually? summit to show off what we are doing or to bring in the • This whole conference should be a think tank. leaders from other states and learn from them? • Policy and industry and leaders need to join with social • Before deciding who to bring the table, we need to justice at any kind of summit like this. understand what the goal is. • Identify an appropriate venue. Could this really happen • What about youth leadership? What are the goals there? in Randolph? There isn’t a major hotel. Still isn’t a lot of clarity. It’s exciting when you get youth • This needs to happen, but planning should to start now. to talk about climate change; youth voices are valued. UVM should be at the table and we should recognize • There is a powerful relationship between innovative that Burlington might be the appropriate venue technology and storytelling. A summit should focus on (national thought leaders will expect certain amenities). sharing that story.

Page 24 Summit Participants Sophie Ackerman, Student, Marlboro College | Michael Bosworth, Sustainable Timber Investment Exchange [email protected] | [email protected] Mel Adams, Town Manager, Town of Randolph | Beth Boutin, Senior Investment Officer, Vermont Rural [email protected] Ventures | [email protected] Remy Albert, Burr and Burton Academy | Ed Bove, Executive Director, Rutland Regional Planning [email protected] Commission | [email protected] Alexander Aldrich, Executive Director, Vermont Arts Council Michael Brands, Aicp, Town/Village Planner, Town/Village | [email protected] of Woodstock | [email protected] Amy Alton, | [email protected] Eric Brattstrom, Co-Chair, Warren Energy Committee | Trevor Asbury, Student, Marlboro College | [email protected] [email protected] Sen. Christopher Bray, Chair, Senate Natural Resources | Laura Asermily, SELECTBOARD/ ENERGY COMMITTEE, TOWN Jesse Brekelbaum, student, Green Mountain College | OF MIDDLEBURY | [email protected] [email protected] Jim Ashley, owner, Green Mountain Geothermal, LLC | Chris Brooks, CEO, Vermont Wood Pellet Company | [email protected] [email protected] Ryan Bahan, Project Manager, Champlain College | Ginger Brown, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | [email protected] [email protected] Becca Balint, Senator, Legislature | [email protected] Greg Brown, Board member, VCRD | [email protected] Lori Barg, President, Community Hydro | Scott Buckingham, Founder/Principal, High Rock Consulting | [email protected] [email protected] Donna Barlow Casey, Town Manager, Town of Milton | Sabina Buffa, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | [email protected] [email protected] John Barstow, Communications Consultant, Self Employed | Mollie Burke, State Representative, Vermont Legislature | [email protected] [email protected] Fred Bay, President and CEO, Bay and Paul Foundations | Paul Burns, Executive Director, VPIRG | [email protected] [email protected] Jack Byrne, Director, Office of Sustainability Integration, Chrissy Bellmyer, School Program Manager, Central Vermont Middlebury College | [email protected] Solid Waste Management District | [email protected] Paul Cameron, Executive Director, Brattleboro Climate Will Belongia, Executive Director, VT Community Loan Fund | Protection | [email protected] [email protected] Megan Camp, Vice President and Program Director, Shelburne James Bentley, Director of Environmental Stewardship, St. Farms | [email protected] Johnsbury Academy | [email protected] Scott Campbell, Project Director, 3E Thermal | Victor Bernabei, Burr and Burton Academy | [email protected] [email protected] Olivia Campbell Andersen, Executive Director, Renewable Victor Bernabei, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Energy Vermont | [email protected] [email protected] Kristin Carlson, Chief Communications, Brand & Marketing Kathy Beyer, Vice President for Development, Housing Exec., Green Mountain Power Corporation | Vermont | [email protected] [email protected] Laura Biren, AmeriCorps VISTA, Washington County Youth Renee Carpenter Services Bureau | [email protected] Rachel Carter, Communications Director, VT Sustainable Jobs Michael Bissonette, Selectboard Chair, Town of Hinesburg | Fund | [email protected] [email protected] Morgan Casella, Dynamic Organics | Maria Blais Costello, Clean Energy Group, Clean Energy [email protected] Group | [email protected] Dennise Casey, Casey, Inc. | Put Blodgett, President, Vermont Woodlands Association | Jeff Castle, Town Planner, Town of Milton | [email protected] [email protected] Ansley Bloomer, Assistant Director, Renewable Energy Philip Cecchini, Weatherization Business Manager, Capstone Vermont | [email protected] Community Action | [email protected] Emily Boedecker, Local Motion, Local Motion | Marta Ceroni, Donella Meadows Institute, Donella Meadows [email protected] Institute | [email protected] Mark Boivin, CFO, No-Mon-Ne Farms Associates | Alise Certa, Communications Manager, Energy Action Network [email protected] | [email protected] Paul Boivin, CEO, Vermont Biofuels | [email protected] Diana Chace, | [email protected] Joe Bondi, Outreach Coordinator, Friends of Northern Lake Robin Chesnut-Tangerman, Representative, VT Legislature Champlain | [email protected] | [email protected]

Page 25 William Chidsey, owner, Solar Harvester Co-VT | Carl Diethelm, Waste Diversion Specialist, Green Mountain [email protected] College - Sustainability Office | [email protected] Betsy Chodorkoff, Executive Director, Block Foundation | Gary Dir, Engineer, Xerox Retired | [email protected] [email protected] Emily Donaldson, Donella Meadows Institute | Laird Christensen, Director - Resilient and Sustainable [email protected] Communities, Green Mountain College | Mike Donohue, Chief Instigating Officer, Outdoor Gear [email protected] Exchange | [email protected] Sung-Hee Chung, Project Developer, Forestille Robert Dostis, VP - Stakeholder Relations, Green Mountain Foundation/Craftsbury Public House | Power Corporation | [email protected] [email protected] Ben Doyle, Community and Economic Development Specialist, Jake Churcher, Videographer, Champlain College EMC | USDA Rural Development | [email protected] [email protected] Greg Duggan, Planner, Town of Essex | [email protected] Matt Cinadr, SourceOne | [email protected] Jared Duval, VT Agency of Commerce and Community Ben Civiletti, Mr., Vermont Natural Resources Council | Development, VT Agency of Commerce and Community [email protected] Development | [email protected] Andy Clark, Staff Writer, Rutland Herald | Andrea Easton, Net-Zero Homeownership Advisor / Green [email protected] Interior Designer, Efficiency Vermont/VermodHomes | Kyle Clark, Managing Partner, Venture Co | [email protected] [email protected] Patricia Coates, Director of External and Governmental Morgan Easton, | [email protected] Affairs, Vermont State Colleges | [email protected] Ben Edgerly Walsh, Climate and Energy Program Director, Hal Cohen, Secretary, State of VT, Agency of Human Services | VPIRG | [email protected] [email protected] Keri Ellis, Carbon Tax Working Group, 350 Vermont | Chris Cole, Secretary, Vermont Agency of Transportation | [email protected] [email protected] Peter Elwell, Town Manager, Town of Brattleboro | Andrea Colnes, Energy Action Network, Energy Action [email protected] Network | [email protected] Meaghan Emery, City Councilor, City of South Burlington | Becky Cook, Office Manager, Donella Meadows Institute | [email protected] [email protected] Michael England, Chair, Environmental Studies Dept., Antioch Ginny Cooke, Land Stewardship Americorps VISTA, Laraway University New England | [email protected] Youth and Family Services | [email protected] Jon Erickson, Professor, University of Vermont | Jon Copans, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of [email protected] Public Service | [email protected] Carl Etnier Paul Costello, Executive Director, Executive Director | Sabra Ewing, | [email protected] [email protected] Lynne Eyberg, Business Development Manager, Champlain Matthew Cota, Executive Director, Vermont Fuel Dealers College Emergent Media Center | [email protected] Association | [email protected] Jeff Farber, Conservation Programs Manager, VT Association Jeff Couture, Executive Director, Vermont Technology Alliance of Conservation Districts | [email protected] | [email protected] Bob Farnham, Digital Marketing Strategist, Bob the Green Sam Cowles, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Guy | [email protected] [email protected] Chad Farrell, President, Encore Renewable Energy | Steve Crowley, Teacher, Vermont Sierra Club | [email protected] [email protected] Joshua Faulkner, Farming & Climate Change Program Alan Curler, Loan Officer, Vermont Agricultural Credit Corp Coordinator, UVM Extension - Center for Sustainable Agriculture (VACC) | [email protected] | [email protected] Corey Dadds, Under Graduate R.E.E.D. Program, Green Barbara Fenhagen, Program Officer, Vermont Programs Mountain College | [email protected] Johnson Family Foundation | [email protected] Chris Damato, Asst. Director, Green Mountain Technology & Laurie Fielder, VGreen Program Director, VSECU | Career Center | [email protected] [email protected] Zina Dana, | [email protected] Shaun Fielder, Executive Director, Vermont Rural Water Jed Davis, Director of Sustainability, Cabot Creamery Association | [email protected] Cooperative | [email protected] Laura Fillbach, Video Team, Champlain College | Rick Davis, president, permanent fund | [email protected] [email protected] Ed Delhagen, Clean Energy Finance and Program Manager, Gina Fiorile, Student, University of Vermont | Vermont Department of Public Service | [email protected] [email protected] Joshua Fishman, | [email protected] Greg Dennis, Principal, Dowling & Dennis Public Relations | Bob Flint, Executive Director, Springfield Regional [email protected] Development Corp | [email protected] Sierra Dickey, Content Curator and Creative Copy, Mondo Mark Foley, Owner, Foley Services and MKF Properties | Mediaworks | [email protected] [email protected]

Page 26 Travis Foster, | [email protected] Lindsay Harris, co-owner, Mountain Home Farm | Ben Freeman, Mountain Campus Director, Burr and Burton [email protected] Academy's Mountain Campus | [email protected] Nate Hausman, Project Manager, Clean Energy States Karen Freeman, Conservation Director, Vermont Housing and Alliance | [email protected] Conservation Board | [email protected] Robert Haynes, Executive Director, Green Mountain Nathan Freeman, Co-Founder, GridMarketplace | Economic Development Corporation | [email protected] [email protected] Nancy Hazard, Member, Greening Greenfield | Danika Frisbie, Environmental Analyst, Vermont Agency of [email protected] Natural Resources | [email protected] Maureen Hebert, Director, Vermont Technical College - Joe Fusco, Vice President, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. | Continuing Education | [email protected] [email protected] Jordan Heingartner, | [email protected] Andrew Gansenberg, Student, Green Mountain College | Jacob Hemmerick, Director of Planning, Town of Milton [email protected] Vermont | [email protected] Newt Garland, | [email protected] Barbarina Heyerdahl, | [email protected] Chelsea Gazillo, Student, SIT Graduate Institute | Ian Hitchcock, Marlboro College | [email protected] [email protected] John Hollar, Mayor, City of Montpelier | jhollar@montpelier- Judy Geer, Director, Craftsbury Outdoor Center | vt.org [email protected] Liliana Hollertz, Student, Marlboro College | Kevin Geiger, Senior Planner, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee [email protected] Regional Commission | [email protected] Kenneth Hood, Board Chairperson, Vermont Center for Elizabeth Gibson, Energy Group, Town of Pawlet | International Learning Partners | [email protected] [email protected] Allison Hooper, Co-Founder/CEO, Vermont Creamery | Margaret Gibson McCoy, Office and Communication [email protected] Manager, VT Council on Rural Development | Don Hooper, retired, National Wildlife Federation | [email protected] [email protected] Dee Gish, | [email protected] Mary Hooper, | [email protected] Margaret Gish, | [email protected] Miles Hooper, Crop manager, Ayers Brook Goat Dairy | Liz Gleason, Farm Viability Program, VHCB | [email protected] [email protected] Karen Glitman, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Vermont Asa Hopkins, Director of Energy Policy and Planning, Public Energy Investment Corporation | [email protected] Service Dept. | [email protected] Karl Goetze, Manager, Engineering, VT Energy Investment Ned Houston, Maple Leaf Llamas | Corp | [email protected] [email protected] Steve Gold, | [email protected] Susan Houston, Select Board Member, Town of Craftsbury | Michael Goldman, | [email protected] [email protected] Judy Howland, supervisor, Ottauquechee NRCD | Victor Gollub, Student, Green Mountain College | [email protected] [email protected] Dan Hoxworth, Executive Director, Capstone Community Lisa Gosselin-Lynn, VP/Editor, VT Ski + Ride/Vermont Action | [email protected] Sports/Addison Independent | [email protected] Hannah Huber, Energy and Climate Community Organizer, Peter Gould, Writer, Green Writers Press | Vermont Natural Resources Council | [email protected] [email protected] Thomas Hughes, Campaign Manager, Energy Independent Andrew Graham, Student, Antioch University New England | Vermont | [email protected] [email protected] Connor Hunt, Student, Lyndon State College | Peter Gregory, Executive Director, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee [email protected] Regional Commission | [email protected] Ethan Ireland, | [email protected] Vern Grubinger, Extension Professor, University of Vermont | Gillian Ireland, | [email protected] [email protected] Lyle Jepson, Executive Director, Rutland Economic Vic Guadagno, Managing Director, Bright Blue EcoMedia | Development Corporation | [email protected] [email protected] William Jewell, Wm Jewell & Company | Sandy Haas, Representative, Windsor-Rutland district, [email protected] Vermont House of Representatives | [email protected] Alan Johnson, Energy Commission Chair, Town of Hartford | James Hafferman, Director of Administration and [email protected] Development, Salvation Farms | [email protected] Ethan Johnson, Student, Randolph Union High School | Christine Hallquist, CEO, Vermont Electric Cooperative | [email protected] [email protected] Kerrick Johnson, Vice President - Strategy and Tom Hark Communication, Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) | Rick Harrington, Business Development Manager, China, [email protected] Champlain College | [email protected] Mark Johnson, Vtdigger.org |

Page 27 Scott Johnstone, Executive Director, Vermont Energy John Langhus, VP - Development, Norwich Technologies | Investment Corporation | [email protected] [email protected] Dan Jones, Managing Partner, Net Zero Vermont | Doug Lantagne, Dean, UVM Extension | [email protected] [email protected] Ken Jones, Economic Research Analyst, Agency of Commerce Mayor Thom Lauzon, Mayor, City of Barre, Vermont | and Community Development | [email protected] [email protected] Jillian Joyce, Mountain Campus Faculty, Burr and Burton Betty Lawhite, | [email protected] Academy | [email protected] Thomas Leavitt, President & CEO, Northfield Savings Bank | Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, VT Sustainable Jobs Fund | [email protected] [email protected] Lucy Leriche, Deputy Secretary, Agency of Commerce and Chuck Karparis, SVP - Lending, VSECU | [email protected] Community Development | [email protected] Shaina Kasper, Community Organizer, Toxics Action Center | Jeff Lernould, Owner, Senior Engineer, Soveren Solar | [email protected] [email protected] Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Steven Letendre, Professor, Green Mountain College | Vermont Community Foundation | [email protected] [email protected] Mark Kelley, Program Manager - Financing, Efficiency Michael Levine, Owner, Flywheel Communications | Vermont | [email protected] [email protected] Mark Kelley III, Mr, United States | [email protected] Sandra Levine, Senior Attorney, Conservation Law Foundation Paul Kelly, Mountain Campus Faculty, Burr and Burton | [email protected] Academy | [email protected] Al Levy, Field Energy Consultant, Solar City | Drew Kervick, Attorney, Dunkiel Saunders Elliott Raubvogel & [email protected] Hand, PLLC | [email protected] Jeffrey Lewis, Vermont Futures Project | Ron Kilburn, | [email protected] [email protected] Sandy Kilburn, | [email protected] Matthew Lickwar, | [email protected] Sam Kimball, Student, Randolph Union High School | Christine Lilyquist, | [email protected] [email protected] Jess Linton, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Becca King, | [email protected] [email protected] Kelly King, Market Manager, Jericho Farmers Market | Thomas Longstreth, Executive Director, ReSOURCE A [email protected] Nonprofit Community Enterprise | [email protected] Marv Klassen-Landis, Chair, Windsor Vermont Planning Wes Lord, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Commission | [email protected] [email protected] Rep. Tony Klein, Chair, House Natural Resources and Energy Shana Louiselle, Communications & Policy Advocate, VELCO | | [email protected] Breck Knauft, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Vermont Christopher Louras, Mayor, City of Rutland, Vermont | Youth Conservation Corps | [email protected] [email protected] Frank Knott, President, Vital Economy | Catherine Lowther, Faculty, Goddard College | [email protected] [email protected] Emet Koffman, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Tim Lueders-Dumont, Policy Director, Office of the State [email protected] Treasurer | [email protected] Dan Koloski, Director Anaerobic Digester, VTC | Sherry Lussier, Director, Green Mountain Technology and [email protected] Career Center | [email protected] Laura Koloski, Catamount Trail Association | Mark MacDonald, Senate Finance and Senate Natural [email protected] Resource, Senator from Orange County | [email protected] Ryan Koloski, Staff Engineer, Agrilab Technologies | Justin Mackey, Green Mountain College | [email protected] [email protected] Curtis Koren, President, FrontiersAfar | [email protected] Steve Maier, | [email protected] Dotty Kyle, | [email protected] Pollaidh Major, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Rural Bill Laberge, Owner, Grassroots Solar Inc. | Development | [email protected] [email protected] Jim Malloy, Managing Partner, Black Bear Biodiesel | Jolinda LaClair, Deputy Secretary, Vermont Agency of [email protected] Agriculture, Food and Markets | [email protected] John Mandeville, Executive Director, Lamoille Economic Alison LaMantia, Student, Green Mountain College | Development Corporation | [email protected] [email protected] Anne Margolis, Renewable Energy Development Manager, VT Christopher Lamb, Student, Marlboro College | Department of Public Service | [email protected] [email protected] Deb Markowitz, Secretary, VT Agency of Natural Resources | Barry Lampke, Program Manager, ECHO Leahy Center for [email protected] Lake Champlain | [email protected] Paul Markowitz, Program Manager, Efficiency Vermont | Patti Lancaster, | [email protected] [email protected]

Page 28 David Marmor, The New Homestead | Bhima Nitta, President, Power Guru | bhima@power- [email protected] guru.com Christina Marts, Deputy Superintendent, Marsh-Billings- Michael Nobles, President& CEO, Union Mutual | Rockefeller NHP | [email protected] [email protected] David Marvin, Founder, Butternut Mountain Farm | Lauren Oates, Hazard Mitigation Planner, Div. of Emergency [email protected] Mgmt & Homeland Security | [email protected] Jim Masland, Rep., | [email protected] Jessica O'Hare, Northern Forest Center | Dafina Matiku, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | [email protected] [email protected] Thaddeus Omand, CFO, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont Tim McCarthy, President, Kildare Consulting | | [email protected] [email protected] Ashley Orgain, Manager Mission Advocacy and Outreach, Nora McCleary, Green Mountain College | Seventh Generation | [email protected] [email protected] Colin Owyang, General Counsel, VELCO | Kevin McCollister, Managing Partner, Catamount Solar | [email protected] [email protected] Christopher Parker, Executive Director, Vermont Rail Action Ron McGarvey, VT Interfaith Power & Light | Network | [email protected] [email protected] Dylan Parker, Burr and Burton Academy | Sarah McKearnan, Senior Policy Advisor, Agency of Natural [email protected] Resources | [email protected] Hannah Parker, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Mary McLoughlin, Sustainability Coordinator, Windham [email protected] &Windsor Housing Trust | [email protected] Tom Parris, Vice President, ISciences LLC | Rick McMahan, Videographer/Media Producer, RSM [email protected] Distributors | [email protected] Jeremy Partyka, Video Team, Champlain College | Daniel Medeiros, | [email protected] [email protected] Kristin Mehalick, Project Manager, Brattleboro Development Guy Payne, Executive Director, Sustainable Energy Outreach Credit Corporation | [email protected] Network (SEON) | [email protected] Chris Miller, Woodstock Energy Group | Beth Pearce, State Treasurer, Office of the State Treasurer | [email protected] [email protected] Johanna Miller, Energy Program Director, Vermont Natural Jacob Pearce, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Resources Council | [email protected] [email protected] Ron Miller, Board Chair, Sustainable Woodstock | Christopher Pearson, State Representative, | [email protected] [email protected] Sally Miller, Director, Sustainable Woodstock | Emilye Pelow Corbett, Vermont Community Foundation, [email protected] Vermont Community Foundation | Janet Milne, Professor, Vermont Law School | [email protected] [email protected] Haley Pero, Outreach Representative, Office of U.S. Senator Tad Montgomery, Home Energy Advocates | Bernie Sanders | [email protected] [email protected] Emma Perry, Student, Burr Burton Academy | Nancy Morlino, Energy Group, Town of Pawlet | [email protected] [email protected] Patrick Perry, Owner, Vermont Heat Pump LLC | Jonathan Morse, vice president, Sustainable Energy Outreach [email protected] Network (SEON) | [email protected] Duane Peterson, Co-President, SunCommon | Vallerie Morse, Deputy District Director, Small Business [email protected] Administration | [email protected] Grace Petty, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Michael Moser, Director Facilities Services, Middlebury [email protected] College | [email protected] Philip Petty, Academic Dean, Vermont Technical College | Meg Mott, Professor of Politics, Marlboro College | [email protected] [email protected] Leah Pickett, Staff Assistant, Office of Congressman Peter Patricia Moulton, Secretary, Agency of Commerce and Welch | [email protected] Community Development | [email protected] Jake Pipp, Student, Antioch University New England | Cindy Mowry, Mountain Campus Faculty, Burr and Burton [email protected] Academy | [email protected] Tess Pollard, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Jennie Mull, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | [email protected] [email protected] Thomas Porter, Senior Commercial Loan Officer, Vermont Jenny Nelson, Agriculture Policy Advisor, US Senator Bernie Economic Development Authority | [email protected] Sanders | [email protected] Mary Powell, President & CEO, Green Mountain Power Chad Nichols, Project Development Manager, Encore Corporation | [email protected] Redevelopment | [email protected] Wright Preston, Northfield Savings Bank |

Page 29 Matt Proft, Organic Coordinator, TAM Organics | Steve Scheinert, Postdoctoral Associate, University of [email protected] Vermont | [email protected] Fran Putnam, Chair, Weybridge Energy Committee | Buzz Schmidt, President, Retreat Farm | [email protected] [email protected] Spencer Putnam, Weybridge Energy Committee | Bill Scott, Self | [email protected] [email protected] Leigh Seddon, Chair, Energy Action Network | Jesse Pyles, Executive Director, Smokey House Center | [email protected] [email protected] Amy Seidl, Interim Associate Director, University of Vermont | Kim Quirk, Owner, Energy Emporium | [email protected] [email protected] Patricia Rainville, FNLC, St Albans Historical Museum, Suni Seldon-Johnson, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Swanton Opposition | [email protected] [email protected] Kesha Ram, Chittenden 6-4 Rep.; Candidate for Lt. Governor, Bill Sessions, | [email protected] Vermont House of Representatives | [email protected] Heather Shand, Donella Meadows Institute | Chris Recchia, Commissioner, Vermont Public Service [email protected] Department | [email protected] Brian Shupe, Executive Director, Vermont Natural Resources Peter Reed, Community Banking Officer, Northfield Savings Council | [email protected] Bank | [email protected] Sarah Simonds, Energy Program Manager, Vital Communities Bonnie Reese, Reese Consulting, Reese Consulting | | [email protected] [email protected] John Sinclair, Forest Supervisor, USDA Forest Service | Chris Reilly, Associate Professor and Chair, Vermont Tech | [email protected] [email protected] Denise Smith, Executive Director, Friends of Northern Lake Chuck Reiss, owner, Reiss Building and Renovation | Champlain | [email protected] [email protected] John Smith Jason Reott, Legislative Fellow, U.S. Senate | Todd Smith, chemistry professor, Marlboro College | [email protected] [email protected] Joel Rhodes, Solar Community Organizer, SunCommon | Wil Smith, Renewable Energy Vermont | [email protected] [email protected] Ross Sneyd, Director of Corporate Communications, National Patty Richards, General Manager, Washington Electric Life Group | [email protected] Cooperative | [email protected] Janice St. Onge, President, Flexible Capital Fund | Tyler Richardson, Assistant Director, Rutland Economic [email protected] Development Corporation | [email protected] Rebecca Stone, Principal, Community Workshop | Kendra Rickerby, Education Design Lead, Schoolhack [email protected] Solutions | [email protected] Jesse Stowell, Business Development, SunEdison | Celia Riechel, Department of Environmental Conservation | [email protected] [email protected] Steven Strong, President, Solar Design Associates | Cara Robechek, Executive Director, Vermont Energy [email protected] Education Program | [email protected] Valerie Stuart, Vermont State Representative, Vermont Tara Robinson Holt, St. Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce, St. Legislature | [email protected] Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce | Joshua Stumpft, Teacher, Randolph Union High School | [email protected] [email protected] Ben Rose, Vermont Dept. of Public Safety, Vermont Dept. of Mary Sullivan, Legislator, State of Vermont | Public Safety | [email protected] [email protected] Chuck Ross, Secretary, VT Agency of Agriculture | Henry Swayze, Environmental reporter, WFVR Green Zine & [email protected] soil sequestration | [email protected] Linda Rossi, State Director, VtSBDC | [email protected] Gaye Symington, Executive Director, The High Meadows Fund Liz Ruffa, Project Director, Northshire Grows | | [email protected] [email protected] Theo Talcott, Transition Town Manchester | Chris Russell, Energy Consultant, Solar City | [email protected] [email protected] Joe Tetreault, Student, Lyndon State College | Abbie Russo, Student, Lyndon State College | [email protected] [email protected] Katie Thomas, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senate | Ben Rybisky, | [email protected] [email protected] Deb Sachs, President/CEO/Go!Vermont Business Outreach Sandy Thorpe, Transit Manager, Rural Community Coord., EcoStrategies | [email protected] Transportation, Inc | [email protected] Jamie Sayen, Board Member, North Country (NH) Chamber of Bill Throop, Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Commerce | [email protected] Studies, Green Mountain College | [email protected] Julia Scheier, Student, School for International Training Peter Thurrell, President, Soveren Solar | Graduate Institute | [email protected] [email protected]

Page 30 Jessica Thyme, Architect, gbA Architecture and Planning | Erik Wells, Director- Administration & Community Services, [email protected] Town of Milton | [email protected] Lauren Traister, 4-H Teen & Leadership Program Coordinator, David Westman, www.veic.org, www.veic.org | UVM Extension | [email protected] [email protected] Todd Tyson, Program Director, Free Vermont Radio/WFUR-LP Kate Whelley McCabe, | [email protected] | [email protected] Todd White, Chief Operating Officer, Agrilab Technologies Inc. Nathaniel Vandal, Principal, Green Peak Solar, LLC | | [email protected] [email protected] Bruce Whitney, lending and special projects manager, Thomas Visser, Professor, Univ of Vermont Historic Windham & Windsor Housing Trust | [email protected] Preservation Program | [email protected] Jack Whitney, Video Team, Champlain College | Roxanne Vought, Program Manager, Vermont Businesses for [email protected] Social Responsibility | [email protected] Jenna Whitson, Vermont Council on Rural Development, Rick Wackernagel, Member and facilitator, Carbon-tax Vermont Council on Rural Development | [email protected] Working Group, Burlington Node, 350 Vt | Molly Willard, Project Manager, VTC | [email protected] [email protected] Ben Williams, Teacher, | [email protected] Jarod Waite, Coordinator of Environmental Science and Ellie Williams, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Biology, Community College of Vermont | [email protected] [email protected] Lilly Waite, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Katie Williamson, Intern, Donella Meadows Institute | [email protected] [email protected] Ruth Wallman, | [email protected] Alex Wilson, President, Resilient Design Institute | Bonnie Waninger, Executive Director, Central Vermont [email protected] Regional Planning Commission | [email protected] Jenn Wood, Weatherization Director, CVOEO | Sarah Waring, Executive Director, Center for an Agricultural [email protected] Economy | [email protected] John Woodward, Vermont Department of Public Service | Lindsay Warne, Project Development Associate, Encore [email protected] Renewable Energy | [email protected] Paul Wyncoop, Bread Loaf Corporation, Bread Loaf Alec Webb, President, Shelburne Farms | Corporation | [email protected] [email protected] Ricky Xue, Student, Burr and Burton Academy | Benjamin Webb, Student, Student | [email protected] [email protected] Paul Zabriskie, Capstone | [email protected] Kate Webb, Representative, Vermont House | Gwynn Zakov, Municipal Policy Analyst, Vermont League of [email protected] Cities and Towns | [email protected] Marshall Webb, Woodlands Manager, Shelburne Farms | Gavin Zhang, Burr and Burton Academy | [email protected] [email protected] Douglas Webster, CTE coordinator, Agency of Education | Steve Zind, Vermont Public Radio | [email protected] [email protected] David Zuckerman, State Senator, Full Moon Farm | Senior Project Manager Joe Weith, , White + Burke Real Estate [email protected] Investment Advisors | [email protected]

Outreach Sponsors Thanks to the following organizations and businesses who helped us get the word out by actively sharing the Summit information through their networks: • Brattleboro Development • Emergent Media Center • SEON • Vermont Sustainable Jobs Credit Corporation Champlain College • Seventh Generation Fund • BuildingGreen Inc. • Energy Action Network • Strolling of the Heifers • Vermont Technology • Burlington Young • Freshtracks Capital • SunCommon Alliance Professionals/Launch • Governor's Institute of VT • Sustainable Woodstock • Vermont Wood • Center for Rural Studies, • One Percent for the Planet • The Nature Conservancy - Manufacturers Association UVM • Renewable Energy Vermont Chapter • Vital Communities • Chittenden County Reg Vermont • Two Rivers-Ottauquechee • VT Environmental Planning Commission • Resilient Vermont Regional Commission Consortium • Common Good VT • Rutland Area Farm and • Vermont Community • Wilmington Works • Donella Meadows Food Link (RAFFL) Foundation • Vermont Woodlands Institute • Rutland Regional Planning • Vermont Natural Association Commission Resources Council Page 31 Financial Sponsors

The Climate Economy Summit is made possible by the generous support of our Sponsors: • The Alchemist • VELCO • Vermont Economic Development • Burlington Electric Department • Vermont Community Foundation Authority • Butternut Mountain Farm • Vermont Creamery • Vermont Energy Investment Corp • Catamount Solar • VT Department of Public Service • VSECU • Concept2, Inc. • Donella Meadows Institute • Emergent Media Center of Champlain College • Encore Renewable Energy • Fresh Tracks Capital • Front Porch Forum • Lintilhac Foundation • Main Street Landing • Northfield Savings Bank • Northwest Regional Planning Commission • Outdoor Gear Exchange • Pomerleau Real Estate • SunCommon • Union Mutual of Vermont

Thanks to the Generous Philanthropic Partners of the Climate Change Economy Initiative: • Bay and Paul Foundations • The Harris and Frances Block Foundation • The High Meadows Fund • The Lintilhac Foundation • National Life Charitable Foundation • The Oakland Foundation • The Sustainable Futures Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation • The Vermont Country Store

The Summit was produced by: The Vermont Council on Rural Development PO Box 1384, Montpelier VT 05601 802-223-6091 | [email protected] | www.vtrural.org

Find out more about the Vermont Climate Economy Initiative and Join the Partnership! Website: www.vtrural.org/programs/climate-economy Facebook: www.facebook.com/vtclimateecon Twitter: www.twitter.com/vtclimateeconPage 32