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Past Announcements

This page includes previous press releases and announcements made by the Clean Energy Development Fund.

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October 12, 2021. CEDF Releases RFP for Admin. of Small-Scale RE Incentive Program.

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September 29, 2021. CEDF Releases Draft $5 million ARPA Allocations

The Clean Energy Development Board will discuss this draft at their October 1st Meeting.

September 29, 2021. CEDF Releases a Draft Outline of the $10M Community-scale Renewable Energy Program for Low-income.

  • This PDF is a one-page description of the draft program.
  • This PDF is a one-page flow-chart of the draft program.

The Clean Energy Development Board will discuss these drafts at their October 1st Meeting.

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September 27, 2021. Responses to the RFI Issued on July 18, 2021.

This PDF is a compilation of the responses the Public Service Department (Department) recieved in reply to the request for information issued regarding the design and implementation of an Community-Scale Renewable Energy Program for Low-income Vermonters.

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July 18, 2021. Request For Information Released

The Public Service Department released a Request For Information (RFI) regarding the design and implementation of an Affordable Community-Scale Renewable Energy Program (Program). The Program was created by the Vermont General Assembly in Act 74 of the 2021 legislative session. Act 74 appropriates $10 million to the Department of Public Service (Department) for the Program to “support the creation of renewable energy projects for Vermonters with low-income” and stipulates that the Program shall be developed “consistent with the parameters of the Clean Energy Development Fund". Responses to this RFI were due Wednesday August 18, 2021.

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July 2, 2021. CED Board Approves Fiscal Year 2022 Program Plan & Budget

The FY ’22 plan does not include the federal ARPA money appropriated to the PSD for CEDF clean energy programs & projects. The $10 million for the Affordable Community-scale Renewable Energy Program and the $5M to be allocated by the CED Board will have a separate public engagement and decision making processes. The FY’22 Plan and Budget allocates the existing CEDF and CEDF-ARRA funds that, mostly, are committed to existing grants, obligations, and programs. The CEDF is finalizing the FY’22 Plan before the ARPA funded programs are developed the ARPA funded programs as the CED Board needs to approve the FY’22 budget and plan so the CEDF can keep existing programs operating into the new fiscal year.  

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June 7, 2021.  CEDF releases the 2021 Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report.

This is the eighth annual report the CEDF has released on the state of employment in Vermont's clean energy economy. The report shows that while the Vermont clean energy industry showed signs of resiliency the loss of jobs due to the Coronavirus was pronounced across all sectors of Vermont's clean energy industry. BW Research Partnership, Inc. has conducted and written these industry reports under contract to the Clean Energy Development Fund.

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January 26, 2021. CEDF Files Fiscal Year 2020 Report with the Legislature

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January 12, 2021. CEDF Releases Residential Clean Heating & Cooling Guide

A new, free guide produced for the Vermont Public Service Department will help homeowners navigate the process heating and cooling their homes with clean energy.

Public Service Department's Press Release regarding the new Clean Heating & Cooling Guide.

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November 9, 2020. Public Comment Request on the Future of the CEDF

The CEDF and the CED Board seeks to provide information regarding the Clean Energy Development Fund and solicit comments about the future of the CEDF. The CEDF successfully designed and administered clean energy incentives and market development programs for the last thirteen years, but it will not have sufficient funds to meaningfully exist after the bulk of its existing funds are expended over the next one to two years. The Department of Public Service, though its Clean Energy Development Fund and the appointed Clean Energy Development Board, are investigating options for the CEDF including the possibility of shutting it down, and to solicit public comments and ideas regarding the future of the CEDF.

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September, 2020.  CEDF releases 2020 Clean Energy Finance Report.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CEDF directed the 2020 Clean Energy Finance Report to focus on financing programs and products that could have high impact and be relatively quick to implement. The products in this report were highlighted by a set of Vermont lenders and implementers as tools and programs that could be brought to scale swiftly. This document is intended as a high-level review of these opportunities.

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August 12, 2020.  Coal Heating Change-out Adder.   The CEDF is now offering Vermont home and business owners additional cash incentives to switch from coal to advanced wood heating. 

A homeowner that changes-out a coal stove or boiler with an eligible pellet stove or central wood heating system can receive up to 50% of the cost (or $10,000, whichever is less) as an incentive from the CEDF, including disposal costs for old coal systems. The added cash incentive is in addition to the existing $3,000 available from the CEDF for a pellet boiler/furnace. New pellet heating systems are also eligible for incentives and financing through Efficiency Vermont. Businesses can receive up to $30,000 towards a coal heating system change-out.

To qualify for the additional incentives:

  • The existing coal heater (coal stove, boiler, or furnace) must be installed and functional. The coal heater being removed must be destroyed/recycled.
  • The new advanced wood heating system installed must be eligible for the CEDF pellet boiler/furnace incentive or if it is a wood stove it must be Step Two EPA  certified with a <2.0 GPH emissions rating and an EPA rating of >70% efficient as measured by the Higher Heating Value.

For more information and to apply for this incentive go to: www.rerc-vt.org/coal-change-out

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July, 2020  The Vermont Public Service Department announces the release of the 2020 Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report, the seventh annual report describing the status and characteristics of Vermont’s clean energy industry.

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February, 2020  Bulk Pellet Storage Incentives Available.

The CEDF, through its Small Scale Renewable Energy Incentive Program, is providing a cash incentive to Vermonters that purchase an eligible bulk pellet storage bin from a Participating Vendor.

Pellet stove (must be EPA 2015 or 2020 certified), pellet boiler/furnace, and pellet sap evaporator owners are eligible to apply for a cash voucher. The voucher will cover up to $3,000 or 85%, whichever is less, of the total storage bin/materials cost (not including labor).  The program will operate on a first-come first-served basis until all funds are spent or June 12, 2020, whichever comes first. Funds remaining will be posted at www.rerc-vt.org and ample notice will be given prior to the end of the program.  

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Evaluation of CEDF's Advanced Wood Heating Programs.  Completed by the Cadmus Group, October, 2019

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October, 2019 Bulk Wood Pellet & Dried-Chip Supply Infrastructure Grants Request for Letters of Intent.

The Clean Energy Development Fund invites businesses and organizations to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply for a CEDF grant in support of bulk wood pellet and/or dried chip supply and/or delivery infrastructure projects located in Vermont.  A total of $350,000 is available for grants up to $250,000.

Read the Request for Letter of Intent here.

Download the Excel Project Description Sheet here - which is required to be submitted with a letter of intent.

GRANT PROGRAM TIMELINE:

Letter of Intent Submission Deadline: Friday November 1, 2019

Invitation(s) to Submit a Grant Proposal Distributed: November 18, 2019 (or earlier)

Grant Proposal Submission Deadline: Monday, January 6, 2020

If you have any question regarding this request for letters of intent please contact:

Andrew Perchlik, CEDF Fund Director, at: 802-828-4017  or at: andrew.perchlik@Vermont.gov

Award Notification: End of January, 2020

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May 30, 2019 - Clean Energy Report Identifies a Maturing Clean Energy Cluster

The Vermont Department of Public Service (PSD) is pleased to announce the release of the 2019 Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report, the sixth effort in the state to describe the status and characteristics of Vermont’s clean energy industry.

Commenting on the report Commissioner June Tierney said “With the highest clean energy employment per capita in the nation (5.7%), the Clean Energy Industry is a significant contributor to the Vermont economy”

The PSD’s Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) commissioned BW Research Partners Inc. to conduct the study of Vermont’s clean energy cluster and issue the report. 

Important findings of the report include:

  • Vermont continues to be the national leader in in per-capita clean energy jobs.
  • With a total employment of almost 18,900 workers, the clean energy sector is a significant part of the Vermont economy, representing about 6% of all workers.
  • Over 14,500 Vermont clean energy workers now have full-time jobs in the sector, up from just over 12,000 in 2017.
  • There is a lack of new talent that created difficulty for clean energy employers and is likely constraining growth of the sector.
  • The total number of clean energy establishments grew by nearly 2% to 3,678.
  • Vermont clean energy employers are very optimistic for 2019, expecting to add about 1,000 jobs, a growth rate of 5%.

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August 12, 2018 - Draft Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Plan and Budget Released for Public Comment

The Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) is seeking public comment on a draft Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Plan and Budget. The draft Plan and Budget is being issued late (the Fiscal Year started July 1, 2018) due to the late approval of the State's budget, which for FY19 had funding for the CEDF.

The draft Plan and Budget can be downloaded on the CEDF's Reports & Documents web page.

Comments on the draft Plan and Budget should be sent by September 12th to:

Andrew Perchlik, Clean Energy Development Fund
Vermont Department of Public Service
112 State Street, Montpelier, VT  05620-2601
Email: andrew.perchlik@Vermont.gov

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April 25, 2018 -Custom Incentive for Pellet Boilers to End June 1, 2018

The Clean Energy Development Fund received approval from the Clean Energy Development Board to make the following change to the Small Scale Renewable Energy Program affective June 1, 2018:

  •  The elimination of the Custom Incentive for pellet/chip boilers/furnaces as of June 2nd.  Friday June 1st will be the last day incentive reservation applications for the custom incentive will be accepted.  Until June 1st, 2018 CEDF’s Custom Incentive will remain at $1.25/sq. ft. of heated space with a maximum of $20,000 with up to an extra $5,000 if thermal storage is incorporated into the installation.

Starting on June 2nd, 2018 the CEDF will only be offering its flat-rate incentive of $3,000 per pellet boiler/furnace. The $3,000 incentive will be available for residential and small commercial pellet boiler installations until December 31, 2018 (possibly longer depending on funding).

If you have any questions regarding the June 1st elimination of the custom advanced wood incentive (or about CEDF’s SSREI Program in general) please contact Andrew Perchlik: andrew.perchlik@Vermont.gov  or at: 1-802-279-0471.

If you want to reserve an incentive for the installation of an advanced wood heating system or learn more about the current incentives offered through the SSREI Program go to:

www.RERC-VT.org

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April 2, 2018 - Request for Proposals: CEDF Advanced Wood Heating Evaluation

The Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) released a request for proposals (RFP) for expert evaluation services for two deliverables:

1. Conduct an evaluation of the activities and programs of the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) related to wood heat in general and advanced wood heating in particular.

2. Create an Access database with program metrics from all CEDF wood heat projects. 

All questions received regarding this RFP are answered in this Q & A Document - Answer #1 Revised on 5/2/2018.

Proposals were due May 21, 2018 by 4:00 pm. The Cadmus Group's proposal was selected as the preferred proposal by the CEDF

Proposals should be addressed to:

Andrew Perchlik, Clean Energy Development Fund
Vermont Department of Public Service
112 State Street, Montpelier, VT  05620-2601
Email: andrew.perchlik@Vermont.gov

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March 12, 2018 - Possible Change to Small Scale Renewable Energy Incentive Program

The Clean Energy Development Fund is considering the following change to the Advanced Wood Heating Incentive as part of the Small Scale Renewable Energy Incentive (SSREI) Program, with an anticipated implementation date of May  1, 2018.

Proposed change: The elimination of the Custom Incentive for pellet/chip boilers/furnaces.  The Custom Incentive currently is $1.25/sq. ft. of heated space with a maximum of $20,000 with up to an extra $5,000 if thermal storage is incorporated into the installation. Implementing this change would mean that only the flat-rate incentive of $3,000 would be available for residential and small commercial pellet boiler installations. Projects that currently are eligible for up to $25,000 of support for an advanced wood heating installation would be limited to $3,000.

The CEDF is considering this change due to a lack of funding and due to other entities (see below) now offering incentives for larger commercial installations that were not available before.  The CEDF would like to receive public/stakeholder comments regarding this possible change. If you have any comments regarding this change (or about the SSREI Program in general) please send them to: andrew.perchlik@Vermont.org before April 11, 2018.  The Clean Energy Development Board will consider these changes at their April 18th meeting.

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February 8, 2018 - Request for Proposals: Compost Heat Recovery Grants

The Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) released a request for proposals (RFP) for grants in support of compost heat recovery system installations on Vermont farms. Proposals are due on or before March 19, 2018.

This RFP is closed and a grant award is pending.

Questions regarding this RFP were due February 19, 2018. Responses to the questions received are posted below:

Questions Received on the RFP and Answers Provided

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October 9, 2017 – Request for Proposals: Clean Energy Finance Report

The CEDF released a request for proposals (RFP) seeking the assistance of a qualified contractor or group interested in researching, analyzing and writing for the CEDF, leading to the Vermont Clean Energy Finance Report. The purpose of this report is to develop and track baseline information that characterizes the status of key clean energy financing activities, tools, programs, products and services available to borrowers in residential, commercial and institutional market segments of interest in the state.

Update: All proposals were received by October 30, 2017. The Energy Futures Group was selected as the contractor.

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September 26, 2017 - Request for Proposals: Rutland County Low-income Wood Stove Change-out and Pellet Heating Program

The CEDF released a request for proposals (RFP) to create and administer a program that will serve low-income residential Vermonters in Rutland County with the installation of pellet heating stoves/systems and change-out of old non-certified wood stoves, with EPA certified wood/pellet stoves or heating systems.

All proposals were received by October 24, 2017.  NeighborWorks of Western Vermont was selected and a grant agreement was signed in March, 2018.

Here are the answers to the questions regarding the RFPs that were received by the October 10, 2017 deadline.

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August 30, 2017 - Request for Proposals: Windham County Low-income Residential Pellet Heating Program

The CEDF released a request for proposals (RFP) to create and administer a program  that will serve low-income residential Vermonters in Windham County to install pellet heating systems.

Proposals were submited by September 27, 2017.  The Windham & Windsor Housing Trust proposal was selected for this grant award.

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July 19, 2017 - CED Board Approves the CEDF's Annual Plan & Budget for Fiscal Year 2018

The Annual Plan and Budget for fiscal year 2018 has been approved by the Clean Energy Development Board.

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June 30, 2017 - Incentives for Pellet Fired Sap Evaporators Announced

  • Press Release Announcing the Incentives
  • The incentive will be offered as a rebate on the purchase and installation of new pellet or wood chip-fired evaporators. The rebate will be $200/sq. ft of evaporator pan, up to a maximum of $20,000.
  • Incentive applications and program information are available at: www.RERC-VT.org

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June 19, 2017 - Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report Released

A steady increase in the clean energy job market is detailed in the 2017 Clean Energy Industry Report released today by the Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF). The number of Vermonters working in the clean energy sector increased by 1,366 since last year, a 29 percent increase since 2013. The report states that there are over 19,000 Vermonters employed in clean energy, 12,000 of which are full-time jobs. With one in every 16 workers --- or about six percent of the State's workforce --- now part of the clean energy economy, Vermont has the highest number of per capita clean energy workers of any U.S. state.

Press Release: Vermont Clean Energy Industry Continues Strong Job Growth

Download the Report: 2017 Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report

Download a Two Page Summary of the 2017 VT Clean Energy Industry Report

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September 28, 2016       New Solar Guide for Vermonters

  • Vermonter's Guide to Residential Solar (2016)
    • There are many ways to build and finance a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, and navigating these options can be challenging. This new guide aims to help homeowners decide whether it makes sense for them to go solar, and if so, how. The guide, “A Vermonter’s Guide to Residential Solar,” was written by the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) for the Vermont Department of Public Service. It is divided into sections so that readers can refer to relevant information at different points in the decision-making and installation process.
    • Press Release

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April 18, 2016 - After three different competitive grant solicitations the CEDF has awarded over $900,000 through 16 grants to support the supply and delivery of bulk wood pellets and the installation of advanced wood heating systems in schools and affordable housing. These grants continue the CEDF's strategic focus on promoting the development of Vermont's local, sustainable, and highly efficient wood energy market sector.