Thomas Hughes has joined the Vermont Public Interest Research Group as Campaign Manager of the Energy Independent Vermont coalition. The coalition of Vermont businesses, environmental organizations, academic leaders, low-income advocates and Town Energy Committees is dedicated to a simple goal: address the problem of climate change and grow the economy by putting a price on carbon pollution.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the state. Pricing dirty fossil fuel emissions will reduce carbon pollution and allow Vermont to cut taxes, create jobs and grow the economy. It’s smart economics and smart environmental policy. It’s a win-win,” said Hughes.
Tom has served as a division president at Country Home Products – one of Addison County’s largest employers, and he was the co-founder of a renewable energy business. He was Chair of the Renewable Energy Vermont board of directors during the successful effort to update and improve Vermont’s net-metering rules in 2014. Those changes accelerated the transition to a clean energy economy – a sector which now employs over 16,000 Vermonters and is growing 10x faster than the economy as a whole.
“Tom’s background in business, clean energy and organizing make him a terrific addition to our growing coalition,” said Johanna Miller, Energy Program Director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council. "Tom understands how to balance multiple goals, and his experience will help ensure pricing pollution in Vermont is good both for people's pocketbooks and the planet.”
Hughes is a past executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party and Democracy for America and is a veteran of five presidential campaigns. At the VDP he managed the campaign that elected the representatives and senators who went on to pass Vermont’s historic civil unions law. At DFA he led a key component of Howard Dean’s 50-State Strategy and launched the DFA Training Academy. In addition, Tom served as Deputy Finance Director for Al Gore in 2000 and as the Dean for America New Hampshire Field Director in 2004. Tom managed Doug Racine’s gubernatorial campaign in 2002.
“Tom brings a wealth of experience from the public and private sectors,” said VPIRG Executive Director Paul Burns. “He’s played a role in many of the big, positive advances Vermont has made recently, and the Energy Independent Vermont coalition is thrilled to have his leadership.”