By Guy Page

When the Burlington City Council considers the Carbon Fee Ordinance tonight, it will likely hear from supporters of an amendment who want tighter limits on which fuels will be subject to the fee. 

They are rallying behind the Bergman Amendment, authored by city councilor Gene Bergman. Rather than exempt from the fee all the fuels permitted by the State of Vermont under S.5, the recently-passed carbon emissions reduction law, as now proposed, the Bergman Amendment would levy fees on the more carbon-intensive fuels.

Opponents of burning wood and renewable natural gas to heat buildings and make electricity want the City Council to adopt the Bergman Amendment, which would make renewable natural gas, wood heat, bio-diesel and other carbon-emitting fuels subject to the pollution fee. They’ve made their requests clear in letters included in the City Council informational packet for tonight’s meeting. 

But the University of Vermont Medical Center – one of if not the city’s largest employer – is on record: We’re green, and we like the ordinance as is. Don’t change a thing. 

A UVMMC letter in the same council informational packet states: “We appreciate the careful deliberations of both committees and want to express our sincere support for the City of Burlington’s commendable pursuit of a Net Zero future; this aligns with our own commitment to fostering sustainable practices and minimizing our ecological footprint. 

“We urge the City Council to adopt the Carbon Fee Ordinance as passed by the Ordinance Committee. The language included in that version aligns with the State of Vermont’s Clean Heat Standard and would allow for renewable fuels, including renewable natural gas, renewable hydrogen, bio-diesel, and advanced wood heat.”

The City Council also will consider another major energy decision of long-lasting implications: the Burlington District Energy plan, which would direct waste heat (steam) from the wood and gas-burning McNeil plant to heat districts of Burlington, including the UVMMC property and UVM. Supporters of the District Energy Plan generally support the Carbon Fee Ordinance as is, because it embraces at least some of the fuels burned by the McNeil plant.