Committee advances H.940, narrows fund-use flexibility for Burlington Electric and repeals dormant telecom board

The committee voted to report H.940 favorably after a presentation from the Legislative Council on a bill that amends multiple public-utility and energy-planning provisions.

Deb Cassey of the Legislative Council described H.940 as "a miscellaneous bill that came out of House Energy" containing three primary topics. Section 1 extends a pilot program under the Energy Efficiency Modernization Act (EEMA) and "grants very narrow limited authority to Burlington Electric Department to use their thermal energy and process fuel efficiency funds" for additional purposes through the 2027–2029 budget cycle, Cassey said. She said the change does not alter the amount BED receives but "gives them more options for how they can spend them."

Cassey said the Department of Public Service asked for narrower language than in the earlier pilot and that the current draft requires BED to spend at least 60% of those funds on weatherization, with at least 60% of that portion directed to low- and low-to-moderate-income weatherization projects. She also said BED has used the funds for transportation incentives, electric-vehicle incentives and limited geothermal testing in the pilot.

Sections 2 through 4 make procedural changes to enhanced energy planning. Cassey explained that prior to Act 181, enhanced energy planning was a separate, optional process; the bill would combine that process with the updated regional-plan adoption process so municipalities and regional planning commissions would not need a separate hearing on the energy element. "None of the requirements are changing," she said; the change is procedural, intended to reduce duplicative public meetings.

Section 5 would repeal the Telecommunications and Connectivity Advisory Board. Cassey said the board "has not met since at least four years" and that its work has effectively been taken on by communications union districts and other broadband entities.

Committee members questioned why H.940 was assigned to Appropriations; Cassey explained that Section 1 concerns a dedicated pot of state money (thermal-efficiency funds sourced from regional revenues and a forward-capacity bargain) and that the bill does not alter the total funding but changes eligible uses. During discussion a figure of about $1.7 million in the fund was mentioned.

After discussion the chair entertained a motion to give the bill a favorable recommendation. The motion was seconded and the committee recorded affirmative votes from Senators Blair, Brennan, Lyons, Torres (who said, "I'll vote yes to get it out"), Watson, Westwood and Burdick; the motion carried to advance H.940 out of committee.

Members also asked staff to coordinate technical language with other pending legislation (notably a separate bill numbered 325 and Act 181) to avoid conflicts in statutory text.

The committee did not adopt any substantive change to the spending totals in the bill; the action was a procedural advancement to move H.940 to the next stage of legislative consideration.