October 26, 2012

VERMONT: Clean energy development funds available for renewable energy

The Clean Energy Development Fund recently announced that its board has approved the allocation of an additional $1.25 million to support the installation of solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and small wind energy projects for homeowners, communities, and businesses across Vermont through the Small Scale Renewable Energy Incentive Program. The board also approved changes to the…

The Clean Energy Development Fund recently announced that its board has approved the allocation of an additional $1.25 million to support the installation of solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and small wind energy projects for homeowners, communities, and businesses across Vermont through the Small Scale Renewable Energy Incentive Program.

The board also approved changes to the incentive program design in response to the evolving renewable energy market and comments received from program participants, in order to create more impact and stretch the dollars further. The new funding and program changes are projected to extend the program into early 2013, depending upon the pace of the renewable energy installations qualifying for incentives.

Funding for the program and for the CEDF in 2013 is uncertain given a recent lawsuit filed by Entergy challenging the tax legislation that dedicated funding to the CEDF, which was created by the Legislature in 2005 to increase the development of renewable energy and combined heat and power technologies. The Vermont Legislature included the incentive program within the CEDF to promote small-scale renewable energy investments.

Information about the incentive program may be obtained from the program administrator, the Renewable Energy Resource Center, a project of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation at 877-888-7372.