BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A draft report shows a sweeping thermal energy bill under consideration in Montpelier, also known as the Clean Heat Standard, could cost Vermonters up to $17 billion.
The price tag could change drastically depending on how the Global Warming Solutions Act is interpreted and how the numbers shake out.
The Clean Heat Standard aims to reduce the use of fossil fuels in heating through things like weatherization and converting to electric heat pumps.
The draft report says fully implementing this standard will cost Vermont residents and businesses $17 billion over the next 25 years.
It also shows that there are about $3.6 billion in societal savings from ditching home heating fuels.
These numbers are just preliminary, so much so that the Public Service Department says they aren’t ready for prime time and don’t want the numbers to take on a life of their own.