Vermont § 8128 - Clean Heat Standard Technical Advisory Group

§ 8128. Clean Heat Standard Technical Advisory Group

• (a) The Commission shall establish the Clean Heat Standard Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
  to assist the Commission in the ongoing management of the Clean Heat Standard. Its
  duties shall include: (1) establishing and revising the lifecycle carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions
  accounting methodology to be used to determine each obligated party’s annual requirement
  pursuant to subdivision 8124(a)(2) of this chapter; (2) establishing and revising the clean heat credit value for different clean heat measures; (3) periodically assessing and reporting to the Commission on the sustainability of the
  production of clean heat measures by considering factors including greenhouse gas
  emissions; carbon sequestration and storage; human health impacts; land use changes;
  ecological and biodiversity impacts; groundwater and surface water impacts; air, water,
  and soil pollution; and impacts on food costs; (4) setting the expected life length of clean heat measures for the purpose of calculating
  credit amounts; (5) establishing credit values for each year over a clean heat measure’s expected life,
  including adjustments to account for increasing interactions between clean heat measures
  over time so as to not double-count emission reductions; (6) facilitating the program’s coordination with other energy programs; (7) calculating the impact of the cost of clean heat credits and the cost savings associated
  with delivered clean heat measures on per-unit heating fuel prices; (8) calculating the savings associated with public health benefits due to clean heat measures; (9) coordinating with the Agency of Natural Resources to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions
  reductions achieved in another sector through the implementation of the Clean Heat
  Standard are not double-counted in the Vermont Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
  and Forecast; (10) advising the Commission on the periodic assessment and revision requirement established
  in subdivision 8124(a)(3) of this chapter; and (11) any other matters referred to the TAG by the Commission. (b) The Clean Heat Standard Technical Advisory Group shall consist of up to 15 members
  appointed by the Commission. The Commission shall establish the procedure for the
  TAG, including member term lengths and meeting procedures. Members of the TAG shall
  be appointed by the Commission and shall include the Department of Public Service,
  the Agency of Natural Resources, the Department of Health, and parties who have, or
  whose representatives have, expertise in one or more of the following areas: technical
  and analytical expertise in measuring lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, energy modeling
  and data analysis, clean heat measures and energy technologies, sustainability and
  non-greenhouse gas emissions strategies designed to reduce and avoid impacts to the
  environment, mitigating environmental burdens as defined in 3 V.S.A. § 6002, public health impacts of air quality and climate change, delivery of heating fuels,
  land use changes, deforestation and forest degradation, and climate change mitigation
  policy and law. The Commission shall accept and review motions to join the TAG from
  interested parties who have, or whose representatives have, expertise in one or more
  of the areas listed in this subsection. Members who are not otherwise compensated
  by their employer shall be entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement for
  expenses under 32 V.S.A. § 1010. (c) The Commission shall hire a third-party consultant responsible for developing clean
  heat measure characterizations and relevant assumptions, including CO2e lifecycle
  emissions analyses. The TAG shall provide input and feedback on the consultant’s work.
  The Commission may use appropriated funds to hire the consultant. (d) Emission analyses and associated assumptions developed by the consultant shall be
  reviewed and approved annually by the Commission. In reviewing the consultant’s work,
  the Commission shall provide a public comment period on the work. The Commission may
  approve or adjust the consultant’s work as it deems necessary based on its review
  and the public comments received. (Added 2023, No. 18, § 3, eff. May 12, 2023.)