Policy Priorities

In the 2025 legislative session, REV is prioritizing three initiatives to help Vermont implement its landmark 100% Renewable Energy Standard

1. Making it Easier to Go Solar at Home: 25kW is the New 15kW

As more and more Vermonters continue to electrify their homes and businesses by switching to EVs and heat pumps, they are also looking to generate more of their own power from solar.

Unfortunately, a law passed in 2014 caps at 15kW the limit for a ground mount solar array to be approved by the speedy and convenient registration process that is also used for all roof mounted net metered solar. This lengthy application process adds so much time, uncertainty and money to projects greater than 15kW that almost no homeowner undertakes it.

In fact, according to REV’s research, only 11 applications have even been filed since 2020 for 15-25kW projects

REV will be asking the 2025 Legislature to raise this 15kW cap to at least 25kW to allow more homeowners to meet the power needs from their electrification from their own solar generation.

This change is largely made possible by the increased efficiency of solar panels since the law was written. Prior to 2017 most residential solar panels were in the area of 250W. Modern residential solar panels are now 485W or larger. This allows for a 28% increase in generation in roughly the same physical footprint.

Building a 25kW array instead of a 15kW array produces enough extra electricity every year to power a Ford Lightning for over 25,000 miles!

Click here for more information

2. Reauthorizing Vermont’s Standard Offer Program

The Standard Offer program was established in 2009 to promote the deployment of distributed renewable generation up to 2.2MW in size. The program was initially authorized to procure 50 MW of generation which the Legislature later increased to 127MW.

Since 2013, the Public Utility Commission has issued an RFP for 5-10MW of capacity annually, with the lowest-priced qualified bids awarded Standard Offer contracts. The final RFP for the Standard Offer program was issued in 2022.

This year’s update to the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) will require a dramatic increase in the deployment of distributed generation in Vermont. Outside of the state’s net-metering program, Vermont does not have any renewable generation procurement programs or incentives as the authorized capacity in the Standard Offer program has been filled.

REV’s research found that Standard Offer has been a very successful program at getting solar projects built at cost effective prices: of the 78 solar projects that have been awarded Standard Offer contracts 47 are now in operation, 13 projects have been withdrawn and 18 are still in permitting or construction.

For this update to Standard Offer, REV is recommending:

A capacity of 20 MW/year for five years. The original program peaked at 10 MW/year but that was against a RES requirement that needed roughly 25 MW/yr to fulfill. The new RES will need ~70 MW/yr by the end of the decade.
Eliminate Standard Offer’s procurement from landfill methane and other technologies generating electricity from processes that create greenhouse gas emissions. There is no need to require energy from sources that contribute to climate change.
Have two rounds of bidding a year rather than one to allow for more accurate pricing based on changes in market conditions.
Have a small set-aside for community solar projects, with a price cap. If community solar projects didn’t fully subscribe, this capacity would revert back to other solar projects in the Standard Offer Program. More information on updating Standard Offer here

3. Establishing an Equal Process for the Environmental Review of Distribution Upgrades

Historically, Vermont utilities have managed the process of environmental assessment and permitting for upgrades to existing distribution infrastructure when new renewable energy projects are interconnected. Most of these upgrades involve moving or placing new utility poles in already disturbed areas such as right of ways along roads

However, increasingly, Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) is requiring solar developers to conduct these environmental assessments.

This change in practice by ANR creates multiple problems including delays, infringing on landowners, uncertainty in liability, etc in the permitting process without providing any additional environmental benefits and puts requirements on renewable energy projects different than all other types of development.

As an example of needed distribution upgrades, since 2020, Vermont utilities have moved or installed over 6,500 poles. REV is unaware of any significant environmental issues caused by the utilities’ management of these distribution upgrades.

The 2025 Legislature must direct ANR to clarify that upgrades required for solar projects be treated like all other projects which allow the utility’s permitting process to manage environmental impacts. More information here