Charlotte, VT
Working to improve the way we produce and use energy in Charlotte since 2010.
From the Charlotte Town Plan to state and national codes and expectations, the Charlotte Energy Committee promises to follow any regulations and programs in place in order to make Charlotte as safe, healthy, and efficient as possible.
Plans and Local Codes
The Charlotte Town Plan, developed by the Planning Commission with extensive input on the energy-related sections from the CEC and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC), was approved by a town vote in November 2019.
The Charlotte Preferred Sites for Solar Net-metering map includes the potential preferred sites that were mapped during the town plan update process. The preferred sites are areas that do not have state/local known or possible constraints. The listing of state constraints is found on pages 1-60,1-61 of the town plan. The listing of the local constraints/areas of high public value are on page 1-3.
Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan. The Department of Public Service (PSD) is required by 30 V.S.A. § 202b to update the Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP) every six years.
The next update will be completed in January, 2022. The Department seeks input from the public as the plan is developed, and more information on the update and engagement process is available on the 2022 Plan page.
Renewable Energy Standard 30 V.S.A. § 8002-8005 established a renewable energy standard (RES) that Vermont electric distribution utilities (DUs) are required to meet.
Under the RES, Vermont’s DUs must acquire and retire a minimum quantity of renewable energy attributes or Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), and achieve fossil fuel savings from energy transformation projects. The requirements of the RES are broken down into three categories.
Standard Offer Program: In 2009, the Vermont legislature amended the Sustainably Priced Energy for Economic Development (SPEED) program to include a standard offer, through which renewable energy developers can receive from each utility a long-term, fixed-price contract for renewables facilities up to 2.2 MW in size.
See also the Public Utility Commission's Standard Offer page.
Siting generation projects: Any electric generation facility must receive a Certificate of Public Good from the Public Utility Commission (PUC) before site preparation or construction can begin on that facility.
The stretch code is included as an appendix to the mandatory code.