Video Day: Climate Change Presentation and more

On February 14, I attended  a Vermont Public Service Board hearing about Vermont Yankee. Meanwhile, Rob Roper, president of the Ethan Allen Institute, attended a Vermont legislative briefing about climate change. We were both in Montpelier, both at energy-planning events. (I am director of the Energy Education Project, which is part of the Ethan Allen Institute.)

• At Roper's event, the presentations made it clear that the Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan will not help climate change, or at least, not very much.  (Also, recently, Guy Page wrote about the difficulties of implementing the Plan. Transitioning to Renewable Power: What It Might Look Like. )
• At my event, the same Plan was used it to "prove" that Vermont Yankee is not necessary for the future of Vermont.

There were several other differences between our two events.

1. The Joint Committee presentation was supported by Vermont tax-payers.
2. Entergy pays the costs for PSB hearings about the Vermont Yankee Certificate of Public Good.  
3. Vermont plans to do everything possible, with Efficiency and Renewable Energy, to help climate change.  It admits this is basically impossible (see video).  (Joint Committee meeting)
4. Vermont Yankee's low-carbon energy production could help mitigate climate change, but Vermont wants to shut down the plant. (PSB meeting).
5. Roper shot a great 3-minute video at the Joint Committee meeting he attended. I encourage you to watch it.
6.  I didn't shoot a video at the Public Service Board hearing.  However, I hope to blog about it in a few days.
7. The PSB meeting had no PowerPoints but lots of lawyers.