VLITE support has produced a strong working partnership for Lyndon State College to work with the Vermont Electric Power Company and IBM’s Deep Thunder project. This support has allowed Lyndon’s Atmospheric Sciences Department to conduct applied research to better understand how adverse weather affects Vermont’s electric infrastructure. These activities will engage our students in real-world experiential learning, and position the Vermont Institute of Applied Meteorology at Lyndon State College to become a regional leader in applied cutting-edge weather forecasting research.
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Transportation is the single largest energy use sector in Vermont, accounting for 34% of the state’s energy consumption and creating 46% of our greenhouse gas emissions. The Vermont Comprehensive Energy plan calls for shifting to 90% renewable energy across all sectors by 2050, with transportation playing a critical role. Electric vehicles (EVs) are a cost-effective strategy to achieve the State’s renewable energy goals for transportation, and Vermont is a leader in promoting EV adoption. VLITE has supported the Drive Electric Vermont program in marketing and promoting plug-in vehicles, including funding for a pilot incentive program. Vermonters receive the incentive by visiting one of 11 participating dealers across the state to receive $500 off the purchase or lease of a new EV, with the dealerships also receive a $200 upstream incentive for each EV sold to support their work transforming the new vehicle marketplace. Further consumer savings will accrue with lower costs of ownership for plug-in vehicles. This program has motivated consumers and auto dealerships to consider plug-in vehicle options in the car buying process. The expanded use of EVs supports economic vitality, energy efficiency, and air quality improvements which benefit all Vermonters.