§ 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.)