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Clean Heat Standard

On January 15, 2025, the Commission submitted the Proposed Clean Heat Standard Rule and Second Checkback Report to the Legislature. The Commission is grateful to everyone who contributed their time and effort to this project. It is now up to the Legislature to decide what happens next with the potential Clean Heat Standard. 

1/16/2025

On May 24, 2023, Act 18 of 2023 became effective. The Act states that “it is the intent of the General Assembly that the Clean Heat Standard be designed and implemented in a manner that achieves Vermont’s thermal sector greenhouse gas emissions reductions necessary to meet the requirements of [the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2020], minimizes costs to customers, protects public health, and recognizes that affordable heating is essential for Vermonters.”

Act 18 directs the Vermont Public Utility Commission (“Commission”) to design a potential Clean Heat Standard and to file its recommendations with the Vermont General Assembly by January 15, 2025. This website is an informational resource for public use designed to share information, increase understanding, and encourage public involvement in this process. The Commission encourages everyone to participate in these proceedings by submitting public comments, becoming a participant and contributing to ongoing discussions, and attending workshops. Your perspective and ideas will help the Commission best design the proposed rule.

The Commission intends for this website to help centralize and simplify publicly available information related to the design of the potential Clean Heat Standard. All materials on this page are for informational use only. Orders, which are documents signed by the Commissioners and issued by the Clerk of the Commission, are the official means of communicating the Commission’s decisions. We will provide links to all Orders on this website. In addition, all Orders, and all forms of stakeholder and public input, can be found on the Commission’s online filing and case management system, ePUC.

Process Updates & Information

This section is intended to help users navigate the Commission’s proceedings to implement Act 18. The subsection “Requests for Input” contains a list of instances where the Commission seeks feedback from the public. The subsection "Advisory Group Materials" contains all materials relating to the work and meetings of the Equity and Technical Advisory Groups. The subsection “Recent Orders” contains a list of Orders that have been issued by the Commission in relation to its work under Act 18. The subsection "Fuel Dealer Registry" contains instructions on how businesses that sell fuel should register and the list of registered entities. The subsection "Consultants" contains information related to the consultants the Commission has contracted with to do work on the potential Clean Heat Standard.

Last Updated: 1/3/2025

Clean Heat Standard

CHS Quick Links

Act 18 (2023) – This is the law that directs and governs the Commission’s work on the potential Clean Heat Standard.

Fuel Dealer Registration – 30 V.S.A. §8124(b)(1) requires that each entity selling fuel into or in Vermont register annually with the Commission. Instructions for entities selling heating fuel are located here. More information on the Fuel Dealer Registry can be found in the dropdown menu on this page. 

PUC Case No. 23-2220-RULE – This is the case in ePUC where the Commission is working to develop the rules and procedures that would govern the potential Clean Heat Standard.

PUC Case No. 23-2221-INV – This is the case in ePUC where the Commission is working to establish the details and parameters of the potential Default Delivery Agent(s). This case will focus on (1) developing the costs and quantities of clean heat credits to be generated by one or more Default Delivery Agent(s), and (2) defining parameters regarding the appointment of Default Delivery Agent(s). The solicitation, review, and appointment of DDAs will occur in a different, yet-to-be-opened case.

Vermont Statutes Annotated (V.S.A.) – This is an online version of Vermont’s laws provided by the Vermont Legislature.

Meetings on the Draft Proposed Rule – Recording from the Technical Workshop from Oct. 7, 2024. 

How-Tos and Explainers

Overview of the Clean Heat Standard – This overview of the Clean Heat Standard is for informational purposes only and answers many frequently asked questions about the potential program. 

How to Use ePUC – This page contains resources that explain how to use ePUC, the Commission’s online filing and case management system.

Public Participation – This page provides an overview of the Public Utility Commission and how people can participate in ongoing proceedings like the development of the potential Clean Heat Standard. People are encouraged to file public comments or become participants to contribute to the proceedings.

Proceeding Structure – At present, the Commission plans to complete its Act 18 work in three cases: 23-2220-RULE and 23-2221-INV, as explained above, and a yet-to-be-opened case for the solicitation, review, and appointment of at least one Default Delivery Agent.

Using Topic Tags – The Clean Heat Standard cases have and will continue to generate a large number of documents. To make these cases more navigable in ePUC, the Commission has created a topic-labeling system as explained in this Order.

Advisory Groups – Act 18 directs the Commission to establish an Equity Advisory Group and a Technical Advisory Group to help the Commission design and implement the potential Clean Heat Standard. The requirements and responsibilities of the groups can be found at 30 V.S.A. §8129 (for the Equity Advisory Group) and 30 V.S.A. §8128 (for the Technical Advisory Group). We will provide materials related to the advisory groups under the Advisory Group Materials section of this page.

Key Terms –  This glossary of terms includes definitions of commonly used words and phrases related to Commission business. This definitions section of Act 18 defines important words and phrases related to the potential Clean Heat Standard.

How to Get Involved – The Commission has submitted our proposed rule and accompanying checkback report to the Legislature. People are encouraged to engage with their Legislators about the future of the potential Clean Heat Standard. The public may still file comments in both CHS-related cases (23-2220-RULE, 23-2221-INV), but the Commission will not be regularly requesting information.

The Commission welcomes all feedback related to the design and implementation of the potential Clean Heat Standard. To have your voice heard by the Commission, please file public comments or request to be made a participant in either or both cases (23-2220-RULE, 23-2221-INV). Feedback is most helpful when it is specific (related to a distinct aspect of the Commission’s work), actionable (provides a suggestion on what the Commission should do to address a concern), and timely (is submitted during a request for comments on the topic or before the Commission addresses the topic). If you only want to be notified of new filings and orders in the case(s), you can alternatively “subscribe” to the proceeding(s).