VT Recognizes Fuel Emergency

snips from article:
On June 11, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie held a press conference to declare an emergency in advance of this winter's heating season.

The next day, Gov. James Douglas gave a speech to announce what he called the Vermont Fuel and Food Partnership and established a Cabinet-level task force (which he named Dubie to co-chair, along with incoming Administration Secretary Neale Lunderville) "to focus every effort and every resource Vermont can bring to bear to help manage the effects of higher energy costs on Vermont families."

In addition, gubernatorial candidate and Speaker of the House Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, announced an emergency home heating meeting of the Joint Fiscal Committee on June 26, inviting the administration to the table. The following Tuesday, House Republicans announced an initiative to help install pellet stoves and chunk wood stoves in low-income and middle-income houses, as well as encouraging start-up wood pellet manufacturing businesses in Vermont.

Everyone I talked to urged Vermont's congressional delegation to secure more money for the LIHEAP heating assistance program for low-income people.

"We have to take a long view and start investing in real public transportation and different methods of housing and different ways of bringing people together to reduce fuel use. We have to use less fuel; that's a message people have to start hearing."