In 2014, the City of Montpelier adopted the goal of achieving Net Zero by the year 2030. In 2018, this goal was further defined in a City Council Resolution:
Montpelier is committed to becoming the first capital city to eliminate fossil fuel use by converting to 100% renewable energy. By 2030, 100% of the energy used for municipal government operations (thermal, electrical, and transportation) will be renewable or offset. By 2050, fossil fuel use will be eliminated entirely and 100% of energy needs (municipal, residential, and commercial) will be met renewably.
One of the specific actions called for in this resolution was to:
“RECOMMEND THAT CITY STAFF DEVELOP A 10-YEAR PLAN TO ACHIEVE THE CITY’S NET ZERO GOAL. This will include identification of specific actions to reduce municipal energy use and emissions, metrics for cost effective decisions, a public communications plan, and efforts to ensure that targets are achieved in a socially equitable manner.”
In 2021, the City of Montpelier engaged VEIC to support the development of an Action Plan to support the City’s net-zero fossil fuels goal by 2030.
Executive Summary
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. This action plan examines the current energy uses and energy sources, forecasts a business-as-usual scenario, and explores the optimal pathway to reach the goal, by using efficiency, renewable energy, and electrification solutions.
This action plan was developed for the City of Montpelier in close collaboration with several City departments, the School District, and the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee (MEAC). The purpose of the action plan is to lay out a realistic pathway to achieving the goal of net zero energy by the year 2030 without being overly prescriptive. This action plan provides helpful information that can be used to develop the necessary strategies to dramatically reduce and eventually eliminate fossil fuel use.
Baseline or historic energy consumption in Fiscal Year 2020 totaled 37,801 GJ, of which 36% is renewable. This includes energy from electricity use and fuel use of City-owned and managed buildings, as well as fleet vehicles, including school buses. Overall, 43% of the energy currently used in buildings is renewable, and only 3% of vehicle fuel is considered renewable (based on the ethanol mixed into gasoline).
Baseline data indicate the largest category of continued fossil fuel use is for thermal energy in buildings. Fossil fuel use is highest at the High School, the Water Resource Recovery Facility, the Middle School, and Public Works Buildings. However, with the recent completion of Phase 1 Biogas project, the fossil heating fuels previously used at the Water Resource Recovery Facility have already been eliminated.
If the City of Montpelier does not take any further action, it can expect that 55% of its energy use in 2030 will be from renewables. This scenario is driven largely by the recent completion of its Waste Resource Recovery Facility project and discontinued burning oil for summer domestic hot water to feed the district heat system. Lastly, this scenario assumes that electricity will be 100% renewable if Green Mountain Power reaches its goal.
Based on the analysis, the City of Montpelier can cost-effectively reach 88% renewable energy by 2030 by taking actions outlined in the Action Plan. Vehicles and some building energy will still likely use some fossil fuels.