2022 MEAC Annual Report
The Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee was founded in 2010 to act in an advisory capacity to the City Council on energy issues. MEAC identifies and nurtures energy-saving projects and opportunities; informs and engages city residents on energy issues; and partners with other statewide groups to foster projects that reduce Montpelier’s energy use or help to meet its energy needs from renewables. MEAC meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 7 pm and the public is welcome.
Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) MEAC is supporting the planning for Phase 2 of the upgrades to the WRRF, which will include the installation of a dryer to remove water from the bio-solids collected at the plant, in order to reduce the volume of sludge that is landfilled. This project will also address odor issues at the plant, be fueled primarily if not completely by biogas produced at the facility, and create waste heat that can be used in buildings at the DPW campus on Dog River Rd. The City received a $3.251 million grant for the project from the USDA.
Home Energy Disclosure Ordinance On July 1, 2022, the City began requiring sellers of residential real estate to provide a Vermont Home Energy Profile (VHEP) when listing a home for sale. The profile provides key home energy insights for residents, sellers, realtors, and appraisers.
Net Zero 2030 Action Plan The City of Montpelier has set an ambitious goal to eliminate fossil fuels from City-owned buildings, operations, and vehicle/transportation fleet by the year 2030. The City of Montpelier can cost-effectively reach 88% renewable energy by 2030 by taking actions outlined in the Net Zero 2030 Action Plan. (Vehicles and some building energy will still likely use some fossil fuels and require offsets to achieve the Net Zero goal.)
As of the end of FY22, 42% of municipal energy use for heating, cooling, electricity, and vehicle fleet came from renewable energy sources including solar, woodchips, pellets, and biogas. Overall energy use has decreased by 12% over the past 10 years, despite the addition of new municipal facilities. MEAC has also been supporting the Montpelier-Roxbury School Board in the development of its own Net Zero plan.
We are thrilled to have new Sustainability and Facilities Coordinator Chris Lumbra on the City staff as of October 2022. Chris is working with all City Departments on the implementation of fossil fuel reduction strategies. Projects planned for 2023 include the replacement of an oil burner at the DPW equipment garage, the installation of EV charging stations at DPW and behind City Hall, and the purchase of the City’s first plug-in electric fleet vehicle.
Window Dressers In partnership with the Barre Rotary Club, MEAC led a joint Montpelier/Barre Window Dressers Community Build in November 2022 at the Barre Auditorium. Over the weeklong Build, over 75 volunteers built 258 storm window inserts for 40 households, including 86 inserts provided free of charge to 10 low income households thanks to a grant from the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund. Due to rising fuel costs, inserts were in high demand this year, and we were unfortunately forced to place many households on a waitlist for next year. Building on MEAC’s efforts mentoring new community builds in neighboring towns, Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, in collaboration with MEAC and other Central Vermont community builds, was awarded a Vermont Rural Council Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund grant to support a more integrated approach to community-based weatherization campaigns. By providing training and resources and coordination with Capstone Community Action, Efficiency Vermont, ReSource and others, this regional effort aims to expand the impact of community builds as a platform to further connect residents to weatherization services, solicit community feedback and engagement on energy and resilience initiatives, and more.
MEAC Members (as of January 2023):
Chris Lumbra, Sustainability and Facilities Coordinator
Tim Favorite, Member
Geoff Fitzgerald, Member
Amy Gamble, Chair
Lauren Hierl, Council Representative
Karl Johnson, Vice Chair
Dan Jones, Member
Ken Jones, Member
Kate Stephenson, Member
MEAC is actively seeking new members to support our work. To apply please visit https://www.montpelier-vt.org/formcenter/boards-commissions-12/city-of-montpelier-boards-commissions-ap-60.