MONTPELIER, Vermont – Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin recently signed S 202, a bill that enables Vermont to encourage the installation of high-efficiency geothermal heat pumps.

“While we’ve accomplished a lot, we still have a long way to go on helping Vermonters reduce their heating costs, which is why we are here today,” Shumlin said.

State public service commissioner Christopher Recchia said that, with advances in technology, Vermonters now have new clean heating options, including geothermal/ground-source heat pumps. He said the new law will allow the state to offer monetary incentives for heat pumps the way it now does for efficient light bulbs or appliances.

Efficiency Vermont had requested the legislation. The organization implements energy-efficiency policy for the state using money collected through the energy-efficiency charge — a fee added to utility customer bills — to provide support for projects. The organization ended 2013 with a $4 million budget surplus (approximately 12 percent of its budget) and is seeking approval to carry over that amount. The new law allows Efficiency Vermont to use those funds to subsidize installations of efficient heat pump technologies (including both geothermal and air-source).

Publication date: 7/21/2014

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!