By Timothy McQuiston. Governor Douglas today avoided a veto of H446, the renewable energy bill, by letting the it become law without his signature. The governor opposed the bill because he said it gets government in the way of what already is a competitive and growing private marketplace for the development of renewable energy. He and his administration have told Vermont Business Magazine that they also opposed the Legislature setting de facto electric rates, which has been the purview of the Public Service Board. A governor must either sign or veto a bill within five days of it being sent to him. If he does not act, it becomes law regardless.
Below is a portion of the governor s written statement:
I fully support the development of renewable energy in Vermont and I have worked hard to encourage this industry. I believe this bill, however, fails to recognize the current viability of renewable energy in a competitive setting and will needlessly increase costs to Vermont consumers so as to subsidize this one favored business sector.
Vermont continues to lead the nation in virtually all aspects of energy market transformation. We are globally recognized for our green ethic and commitment to the environment. Our citizens pay more, per capita, than any other people in the nation for electric efficiency. The highly successful Clean Energy Development Fund provides incentives for renewable energy investments. And Vermont s existing electric portfolio is one of the cleanest in the nation. I believe we can still carry the mantle of energy leadership without unnecessarily increasing rates on Vermonters.
Even though this bill does set statutory standard offer rates, which I believe is inappropriate, because the Public Service Board must revisit those rates within the next four months and periodically thereafter, I will allow this bill to become law without my signature.
The full text of Governor Douglas s statement is attached.
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H 446 Message.pdf1.22 MB