2024 Annual Report
The Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee was founded in 2010 to act in an advisory capacity to the City Council on energy issues. MEAC identifies and nurtures energy saving projects and opportunities, informs and engages city residents on energy issues, and partners with other statewide groups to foster projects that reduce Montpelier’s energy use or help to meet its energy needs from renewables. MEAC meets the third Tuesday of every month at 7pm and the public is welcome.
Net Zero 2030 Action Plan - The City of Montpelier has set an ambitious goal to eliminate fossil fuels from City owned buildings, operations, and vehicle/transportation fleet by the year 2030. The City of Montpelier can cost-effectively reach 88% renewable energy by 2030 by taking actions outlined in the Net Zero 2030 Action Plan. (Vehicles and some building energy will still likely use some fossil fuels and require offsets to achieve the Net Zero goal.)
Sustainability and Facilities Coordinator Chris Lumbra is working with all City Departments on implementation of electricity and fossil fuel reduction strategies. (The Sustainability and Facilities Coordinator files a separate annual report.)
Window Dressers - This year MEAC coordinated with the Energy Committees in Calais and Barre Town to run our annual Window Dressers Community Build at the Barre Auditorium in November. Our volunteer teams assembled 341 interior storm window inserts for 53 local households (including 76 free inserts for 9 low income families). Grant funding was provided by the Vermont Council on Rural Development and managed by Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, and a small grant was received from Northfield Savings Bank, to cover the cost of the free inserts. To sign up for inserts or to volunteer, go to https://windowdressers.org/
School District Liaison – MEAC continued to advise the Montpelier-Roxbury School Board on ways forward implementing its Net Zero and Decarbonization Resolution amidst the budgetary challenges it and many other school boards face statewide.
MEAC Members (as of January 2024):
Tim Favorite - Member, Secretary
Geoffrey Fitzgerald - Member
Amy Gamble - Member
Karl Johnson - Chair
Dan Jones - Member
Ken Jones - Vice Chair
Kate Stephenson - Member
Amanda Sardonis - Member
Julia Leopold - Member
Peter Sterling Member
Mark Seltzer - Member
Staff Rep. Chris Lumbra - Sustainability and Facilities Coordinator
Sal Alfano- Council Rep
Lauren Hierl - Council Rep
MEAC is actively seeking new members to support our work. To apply please visit
https://www.montpelier-vt.org/formcenter/boards-commissions-12/city-of-montpelier-boards-commissions-ap-60. To learn more about MEAC’s activities, please visit www.netzeromontpelier.org and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/montpelierenergy/.
To reach the committee, email netzeromontpelier@gmail.com.