New Ventures

In a world that must address the challenges of both climate change and peak oil, VEIC believes in a “Think, Do, and Advocate” approach to work that makes our mission come to life. VEIC has several projects in the works that pursue innovative opportunities that address the challenges of climate change.

Our Latest Venture

In the United States the transportation sector yields one third of our green house gases and approaches fully half in more rural parts of the country like Vermont. In 2009, VEIC established a Transportation Collaborative to advance and apply its mission within the transportation sector.

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Smart Grid Vermont

December 01, 2009

Vermont got some very good news recently from the federal government as the state's $138 million Smart Grid Investment Grant proposal...

Vermont got some very good news recently from the federal government as the state's $138 million Smart Grid Investment Grant proposal ("eEnergy Vermont") was approved through the Recovery Act. The federal government will provide 50% of the funding for this project, about $69 million.

VEIC and Efficiency Vermont's contribution to the grant proposal was in the area of customer systems. We will be working with the distribution utilities and other partners to help evaluate a number of different customer feedback systems. This research will provide a major boost to our efforts to quantify the impacts of behavioral measures on energy efficiency, and determine the combinations of factors such as technologies, rates, and customer support that prove most cost-effective.

This statewide proposal was submitted by all of Vermont's electric distribution utilities, VELCO, and VEIC / Efficiency Vermont, with support from state and congressional leaders. It encompassed three primary areas of focus:

Automated metering infrastructure and smart meters - about 85% of Vermont electric customers will receive smart meters, supported by an 1,100-mile fiber optic "backbone" network.
Customer systems such as in-home displays - a variety of end-user energy management technologies will be tested, ranging from simple devices that display home energy usage ("in-home displays"), to more sophisticated devices that can potentially control appliances with networking technologies such as Zigbee. In some cases, dynamic rates and Time of Use rates will be incorporated as well.
Electric distribution and transmission system grid automation - infrastructure investments to improve grid reliability and security, and enable the grid to more easily take advantage of distributed generation opportunities. Vermont's enactment of the nation's first feed-in tariff for renewable energy was specifically cited in the grant application as one of Vermont's advantages.

Congratulations to all involved!