Vermont's Energy Goals: A Story of Missed Targets and Missteps

Vermont's government is falling short on its energy-saving promises. A recent audit reveals that the state is not meeting its own energy reduction goals. These goals are set to cut costs and help the environment. The audit highlights problems with two key initiatives: the State Agency Energy Plan and the State Energy Management Program. The State Agency Energy Plan has been around since 1992. It guides state agencies on how to use less energy. The State Energy Management Program is supposed to put these plans into action in state buildings. However, the Department of Buildings and General Services (BGS) has not been tracking progress. They are required to report every two years, but they haven't been doing this. The audit found that BGS does not measure the energy used by state employees for transportation. They also do not track energy use in leased buildings. This makes it hard to know if they are meeting their goals. The audit also found that some projects cost more than they save. For example, a lighting project at the Barre Courthouse cost more than it will save over its lifetime. Another project at a government office building in Montpelier had similar issues.The audit compared estimates from Efficiency Vermont with those from BGS. Efficiency Vermont is an organization that helps the state save energy. The audit found that BGS overestimated savings by more than $1. 6 million. This shows a pattern of miscalculation. The program also seems to be slowing down. Normally, it completes about five projects a year. But in the last three years, it has only done one or two. This might be because of staff shortages. The energy project manager positions have been empty since 2021. The audit found that there are more than 50 potential projects. But the department has only completed 15 of them. The auditor made several recommendations. They suggested that BGS start reporting progress and tracking energy use. They also recommended doing more projects and working better with Efficiency Vermont. The commissioner of BGS agreed with the findings. She offered a timeline to implement the recommendations.