Our Story
It started with a very simple idea: the cleanest and cheapest energy solution is to use less energy.
Clean-energy impacts have always driven our work
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) was founded in 1986 by Beth Sachs and Blair Hamilton. The nonprofit was created with a clear mission: to reduce the economic and environmental costs of energy use.
VEIC’s revolutionary program designs caught the attention of utilities and governments across the country—especially small, resource-strapped governments. By the end of our first decade, we had leveraged our capabilities to the benefit of 18 states and 7 countries.
VEIC introduced the idea that energy efficiency should be a matter of state law, managed by a single third-party program administrator, and regulated like the electric utilities. In 1999, the Vermont General Assembly created the nation’s first statewide, regulated “energy efficiency utility,” Efficiency Vermont. VEIC bid for and won the contract, which we continue to administer to this day.
“VEIC has a long history of making clean energy options accessible for all people. We are driven to innovate, deliver for our clients, and transform markets."
Expanding while holding true to our original principles
We grew our services, designing and implementing program solutions for new energy efficiency programs in DC and Ohio. We invested in our expertise, expanding engineering bench strength while advancing transportation electrification through a dedicated fleet solutions team.
Our work continues to grow. Today, we partner with federal, state, and local governments, foundations and nonprofits, businesses and institutions, utilities, energy offices, and fleet managers to navigate complex federal funding, advance electrification, and realize critical decarbonization planning nationwide. We support efficiency programs in Wisconsin and Hawaii. We design and implement critical pilots across the nation. We continue to expand our engineering services to address emerging issues.
As the energy industry evolves, VEIC continues to translate input on market needs and opportunities into innovation for a new era. This work has involved big-thinking approaches that go beyond traditional efficiency measures and the reduced use of fossil fuels. We do more than trumpet these achievements to the world. Through our integrated in-house marketing and education team, we develop roadmaps others can use to replicate our successes. Doing so, VEIC leads the marketplace forward, driving adoption of high-performance, efficient products, advancing transportation electrification and building decarbonization, and ensuring clean and efficient energy solutions reach all people—including those who need them most.
Our work since 2000 will reduce Green House Gas emissions by
115,155,083
metric tons over the lifetime of efficiency and renewable energy investments
Case Studies Core Values
We are committed to the planet and the life it sustains. There is no greater challenge than the health of our planet. That's why every action we take as individuals and as an organization is focused on reducing GHG for the benefit of all people.
We are always evolving. Our mission is clear, but every day we face new challenges that require unique solutions. So, we push ourselves to think differently, find partners that amplify our impact, and take risks that keep us at the cutting edge of our field.
We are our people. Our collective intellectual capital and passion drives our business. That's why we cultivate a culture of trust, respect, and accountability.
