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How renewable is Vermont's electricity? 'Brave Little State' looks at fossil fuels in the power grid

An electricity transmission tower stands with power lines coming to and from it before a blue sky with pink-hued clouds.
Nikola Johnny
/
Unsplash
Vermont’s electricity use is projected to grow dramatically in the coming decades. "Brave Little State" investigates how much of that power comes from fossil fuels today, and what the state is doing to bring more renewables online.

How much does Vermont's power grid depend on fossil fuels? It's a seemingly straightforward question with a complex answer. And as electricity rates rise due to surging fuel prices, it's a question on more and more Vermonters' minds.

This hour, Vermont Edition shares a recent episode of Brave Little State, the show that answers your questions about Vermont, our region and its people.

Questions like this one, from Remington Nevin, of Quechee:

"As electricity rates rise with gas and oil costs, to what degree does Vermont's power grid depend on these fossil fuels?"
Remington Nevin of Quechee

Vermont Public reporter Abagael Giles and Brave Little State host Angela Evancie explain where Vermont’s power comes from, and what it means when a utility says its power is renewable.

Broadcast on Friday, March 24, 2023, at noon.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Connor Cyrus joined Vermont Public as host and senior producer in March 2021. He was a morning reporter at WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island. A graduate of Lyndon State College (now Northern Vermont University), he started his reporting career as an intern at WPTZ, later working for WAGM in Presque Isle, Maine, and WCAX Channel 3, where he covered a broad range of stories from Vermont’s dairy industry to the nurses’ strikes at UVM Medical Center. He’s passionate about journalism’s ability to shed light on complex or difficult topics, as well as giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Matt Smith worked for Vermont Public from 2017 to 2023 as managing editor and senior producer of Vermont Edition.