The Vermont legislature created an Energy Efficiency Utility named Efficiency Vermont as a full-service utility providing those services to all ratepayers. Under this structure, utility ratepayers can reduce their energy use by investing in energy improvements for their homes and businesses, with assistance from Efficiency Vermont. Efficiency Vermont is managed and operated by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. Efficiency Vermont, set goals to greatly increase their impact on rural residents and applied for an RUS Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program (EECLP) Loan.
In September of 2015, RUS obligated $46 million dollars in EECLP loan funds for Vermont. This flexible, low interest capital will be made available to Vermonters across the business, municipal, and residential sectors to support a broad range of energy improvement projects. It will also enable thousands more moderate-income Vermonters, who are not always able to access traditional financing, to save money on their energy bills by completing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. It will improve economic vitality in Vermont’s rural communities and small cities, and have a positive long-term impact through ongoing energy cost savings. The energy efficiency projects will include weatherization, heat pumps, equipment and Lighting, fuel switching and solar PV. These projects will benefit Vermonters from a wide range of sectors to including Multifamily, Single Family, Small Businesses and Agricultural, State Government, Municipalities, Schools, Large Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial projects.