Laura Sibilia represents Dover, Jamaica, Somerset, Stratton, and Wardsboro in the Vermont House of Representatives, where she serves as vice-chair of the Environment and Energy Committee and co-chair of the Rural Caucus.
DOVER-Affordability is a real problem for many Vermonters right now. Right now, prices are still 20% higher than they were before the pandemic. Families all across the state are feeling the pressure. It's getting harder to afford the basics.
Add to that the cost of heating oil having more than doubled in just one year.
Big Oil companies and their backers want you to believe that enacting the Clean Heat Standard in 2025 will make things worse by raising your heating costs.
But that's not true - and doing nothing will hurt your wallet far more.
But what's really behind these rising heating costs? Global oil prices, which are completely out of our control.
Big oil companies set prices that Vermonters have to pay. And while small, local heating oil companies are doing their best to help, six have closed this past year alone. These closures mean fewer choices for Vermonters and more dependence on big companies that raise prices whenever they want.
Small heating businesses in Vermont are struggling with the same challenges many local companies face - an aging workforce and the pressure to transition to cleaner energy solutions.
As baby boomers retire, gaps are left in the workforce, and adapting to offer new, cleaner products may require specialized skills and training that are harder to find and take time to learn.
For some, selling to larger distributors has become the most practical option, leaving Vermonters with fewer local options and less choice on price and service.
* * *
Critics of the Clean Heat Standard - like fossil-fuel-backed Americans for Prosperity - conveniently avoid the real issue: The current fossil fuel market is unregulated, it's volatile, and it leaves you vulnerable to constant price spikes.
Doing nothing about this is exactly what will keep your heating bills high.
The Clean Heat Standard aims to provide stability in a chaotic market, and with proper oversight, it will ensure you don't have to rely on unpredictable oil prices.
This strategy will help us break free from the grip of global oil markets. It would require fuel sellers to reduce emissions by investing in cleaner options, like home weatherization and heat pumps, that can lower your heating costs.
This approach isn't about raising prices - it's about making Vermont less dependent on oil and helping Vermonters afford better heating solutions.
Gov. Phil Scott talks a lot about affordability, and he's right - we need to work together to keep costs down. But he's missing the point.
Inaction won't protect Vermonters. In fact, with a global energy transition underway and larger states and countries acting to reduce their fossil fuel usage, inaction is the biggest threat to fixed income and working Vermonter's pocketbooks.
* * *
There are three paths forward when it comes to the Clean Heat Standard: do nothing, pass the plan as is, or work to make it even stronger.
But doing nothing would leave Vermont more exposed to price hikes in the oil market, while passing the policy without improvements may miss the mark.
The best option is to work together to act now, refine the plan if needed, and ensure it truly delivers for Vermonters by providing energy savings and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
It's easy for big oil-backed groups to make this debate sound simple. But it's not. The current market is stacked against you, and without government intervention, you will keep paying the price.
The Clean Heat Standard or a comparable approach is part of the solution. It offers Vermonters a way to break free from the current system, reduce energy costs in the long run, and protect against the instability of fossil fuel prices.
The stakes are high, and it's time to act. We need thoughtful, collaborative solutions that address both the affordability crisis and the long-term needs of Vermonters.
The Clean Heat Standard is a key piece of that puzzle.
This Voices Legislative Update was submitted to The Commons.
This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at [email protected].