Webinars and Workshops
Check back frequently for updates! Want to hear about upcoming events? Sign up for the CVRPC newsletter (at the top of this page), check monthly staff reports (included in monthly board meeting packets), and/or sign up for the energy digest (email Lash@cvregion.com).
2024 Municipal Enhanced Energy Planning Workshops
This series of webinars is intended to walk Central VT municipalities through the main components of Act 174 Enhanced Energy Planning (targets & analyses, energy infrastructure siting & maps, and implementation actions) including standard and data updates.
The Regional Enhanced Energy Plan is in currently in the adoption process https://centralvtplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Readoption-Assessment-Report-Full-240410.pdf as an update to the previous plan. A comprehensive Regional Plan Update is still in progress for 2025 including a further updated Regional Enhanced Energy Plan; thus, municipal energy planning efforts are well timed to ensure municipal priorities, expertise, strengths, and gaps, can be integrated and inform the comprehensive Regional Plan update. This is a key opportunity for coordination across municipal, regional, and even state level planning. Reach out to Sam Lash at Lash@cvregion.com to learn more.
These workshops may be for you if: you are town staff or leadership, especially planning commissions and energy committees/coordinators, and you are interested in an enhanced energy element in your town plan (developing or updating). For an introduction to Act 174 and Enhanced Energy Planning please see:
Part I Targets & Analyses focused on municipal data profiles and “breakouts”. We walked through current use estimations and targets, discussed decision pivot points, and how to use/customize for your community (including how to integrate into your Town Plan).
Municipal profiles (forthcoming)
Slides & Recording (forthcoming)
Part II Maps & Siting (info forthcoming)
Part III Implementation Pathways info (forthcoming)
Past Events:
Join Central Vermont Virtual Discussion Oct. 11th 12pm-1:30pm EST or in-person Chats (see below)
The Public Service Department and Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission have teamed up to ensure your voice is heard as critical energy policies are updated. Come and share your input, experiences, and priorities about surrounding renewable electricity and help shape how this infrastructure can better support resilient and thriving communities in our region and across the state.
How you can Participate:
SURVEY
Open until Oct.31st
Former Williamstown Landfill
Chats
Sat Oct 7th 1–3:30pm at Rabble Rousers, Montpelier
Tues Oct 10th 12-3pm at Aldrich Library, Barre City
Coventry Landfill Methane
Virtual Discussion
Oct. 11th 12-1:30pm EST
Marshfield Hydroelectric Dam
Are you interested in weighing in on where Vermont’s electricity comes from?
The Public Service Department is currently reviewing the policies and programs related to renewable electricity to determine what changes are necessary to achieve state energy and climate goals. They’ve teamed up with Vermont’s Regional Planning Commissions to ensure your voice is heard as these critical energy policies are updated.
Together, we want to hear from Vermonters about:
- What are your priorities when thinking about where Vermont’s communities get their electricity?
- How can our policies and programs better support those priorities?
Throughout September& October there will be a series of events throughout the state with opportunities to engage in conversations around these topics. Your input will directly inform recommendations the Department will be making to Vermont’s policymakers in advance of the next legislative sessions.
Learn More About Renewable Energy In Vermont (1 pagers):
Learn More About Renewable Energy in Vermont at the Department of Public Services Renewables webpage
Webinar 1: Where Does Vermont Electricity Come From? Topics: How does the electric system get power to our homes and businesses; what electricity is generated in Vermont & does it stay in Vermont; what types of resources do Vermont utilities have to purchase to make sure the lights stay on?
Webinar 2: Current Renewable Electricity Policies Topics: Renewable Energy Standard (RES) and the programs used to meet them including Net-Metering and Standard Offer Programs (which predate the RES so are mismatched- hence the update!)
Webinar 3: Parking Lot Session- Renewable Energy Certificates and their Markets with Jason Gifford (Sustainable Energy Advantage)
Municipal Solar Workshops
Hosted by energy planners from Addison County and Central Vermont Regional Planning Commissions, this 3-part workshop series is intended to support member municipalities interested in municipal solar projects. Throughout the series we will be joined by community and industry experts to build a set of best practices and help communities identify and meet their communities’ needs. Participants are welcome to join 1 or all workshops in the series, materials and resources will be provided throughout to help participants navigate the process regardless of where they are starting from!
These workshops may be for you if: you are town staff or leadership, and you interested in solar but don’t know where to start or what is needed, the prospects of funding requirements and project management are overwhelming, you have found plenty of resources for residential, commercial, increasingly community solar, but are not sure how they relate to a municipal project; you want to connect with neighboring towns and co-develop projects which maximize financial, social, and environmental benefits and draw down federal funds to your town!
Our goal is to (re)define municipal solar, help towns understand what municipal solar CAN BE, and connect you with the resources and experts to begin the process.
Municipal Solar Workshop Resources
Part I covered an overview of different models of municipal solar and provided the broad strokes of how to develop and implement projects (moving towards a step-by-step workflow!). In addition, to your regional energy planners Sam and Maddi, we will be joined by experts from Norwich Solar.
Part II focused on how to get started with siting municipal projects, demo-ing available tools (including the new Act 174 Planning Atlas Map Viewer) that can be used for project development as well as to facilitate community conversations. We touched on basic considerations re sizing, storage, and dual land use to frame project development best practices.
Demo and 3 different approaches using the Act 174 Planning Resources (VT Planning Atlas) starts at 15:36 in recording (tips where to start slide 13):
- Quick site evaluation; identification of known and possible constraints by address (ground mounted)
- Prime and Base Solar for project development
- Rooftop Solar Potential
Part III Empowering Municipal Solar was held on October 19th, 2023 1:30-2:30 after the 2023 REV Annual Conference. Municipal and regional planners, Town energy committees and leaders, solar and storage developers, and other experts came together to discuss projects, barriers, opportunities, and more.