Vermont Senate passes H.740 to create greenhouse-gas inventory, repeals Clean Heat Standard after contested debate

The Vermont Senate passed H.740, an act to establish a greenhouse-gas inventory and registry, on May 20, 2026, adopting a substituted amendment and approving the bill on a final roll call of 17 to 13.

The bill, debated at length on the Senate floor, was carried forward after senators voted to substitute the amendment offered by Senator Watson in place of one offered by Senator Williams; the substitution was accepted by roll call, 17–13. The chamber then divided the question to allow separate votes on sections 1–3 (accepted 17–13), sections 4–5 (accepted 26–4) and section 6 (effective date; accepted by voice). A subsequent Williams/Rutland amendment concerning greenhouse-gas reporting and Act 153 failed on roll call, 14–16, before the Senate gave final concurrence to H.740, 17–13.

Why it matters: sections adopted in H.740 create a statewide inventory and registry that require data collection of fossil-fuel volumes by sector (transportation, residential, commercial, industrial) and, where practicable, by zip code, municipality or the smallest geographic level practical while including language intended to protect individual consumer identities. Sections 4 and 5 of the amendment remove language commonly referred to in debate as the Clean Heat Standard; those sections were the subject of an emphatic roll-call vote.

During floor debate, senators framed the core disagreement as a question of process and facts versus political effect. The Senator from Washington criticized earlier implementations as “very costly and very complicated,” said the PUC had so described the prior approach, and characterized the repeal in part as symbolic cleanup of the statutes while stressing that legislative re-enactment would still be required to restore any standard. The Senator from Rutland and others pressed procedural clarifications about the PUC report and legislative steps required for repeal.

Supporters of the data provisions urged a nonpartisan baseline to measure future progress. The Senator from Chittenden Central said the purpose of collecting a baseline is to determine later whether policies produce measurable improvements and asked colleagues not to make data collection a partisan issue. The amendment reporter noted the bill’s rulemaking language directs the secretary to adopt minimum reporting that includes ‘‘types and volume of fossil fuel sold by sector… and by zip code, municipality or the smallest geographic level practicable,’’ with protections to prevent disclosure of individual consumer identities.

Opponents warned that collecting and publishing granular fuel data could be a pathway to future policy changes they oppose. The Senator from Caledonia said data collection could lead to decisions to tax transportation and carbon fuels and therefore opposed parts of the substitute. Senators also voiced concerns about practical constraints—several members noted that more than 80% of Vermonters rely on fossil fuels for heat in some regions, that grid limits may constrain electrification in rural areas, and that technologies such as heat pumps can have limits in very cold weather.

Legal context and lawsuits: the floor discussion referenced Act 153 (the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2020). Senators debated whether that framework exposes the state to private lawsuits; during debate a senator said lawsuits had been filed (Conservation Law Foundation and Lake Champlain Committee were identified in floor questions) and later described one such case as withdrawn because of timing. Opponents of Act 153 argued the statute both opens the state to legal risk and shifts policymaking toward non-elected bodies; proponents said the Act tracks progress and does not itself force specific regulatory measures without legislative action.

Votes and next steps: the chamber adopted the replacement amendment and passed H.740 as amended. The Senate then suspended rules and messaged its actions to the House on multiple bills, including H.740. Several conference committee appointments were announced on other bills and the Senate adjourned until 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Quotes that capture the debate include the Senator from Washington saying the PUC found the prior approach "very costly and very complicated," and the Senator from Chittenden Central urging that "we will take the data that we get and we will make good decisions." The official roll-call totals reported on the floor were consistent across the recorded votes: substitute amendment accepted 17–13; sections 1–3 accepted 17–13; sections 4–5 (repeal of the Clean Heat Standard) accepted 26–4; the Williams/Rutland amendment failed 14–16; final passage of H.740, 17–13.

The Senate’s actions on H.740 will be transmitted to the House as the Legislature continues its session.