Net Zero Energy Burlington VT

Darren Springer, General Manager of Burlington Electric Department, joins the program to share the latest progress on the city’s Net Zero Energy roadmap. This episode explores a remarkable 24.3% reduction in local fossil fuel consumption for ground transportation. Discover how expanded electric vehicle incentives and thousands of heat pump installations are transforming Burlington into a sustainable leader. Residents can also learn about Sparky, the new AI chatbot designed to simplify rebate access, and the addition of high-speed chargers downtown.

Deb Sachs, Director of Net Zero Vermont and Project Manager of the Walk to Shop program, returns to discuss sustainable transit. Discover how modern shopping trolleys are helping Burlington reach its Net Zero Energy goals by replacing short car trips with active walking. Learn about the "Show Me Your Steps" coffee campaign launching this May, offering incentives for residents to track their progress. This episode highlights the environmental, health, and social benefits of walkable communities while encouraging everyone to get outside today and participate.

Join Jigar Shah, co-founder of Multiplier and former DOE Loan Program Office Director, and Navneet Trivedi, co-founder of Vrinda, as they discuss Vermont's path to a sustainable future. Explore the transition from pilot programs to full-scale electrification during this global energy crisis. Learn why financing solutions and battery storage are critical for Burlington residents, including renters. Our experts break down how local innovation can stabilize energy rates and increase grid resiliency. Discover how we can move beyond fossil fuels today.

Much of Vermont's housing stock is old and needs weatherization. Weatherization makes homes less expensive to heat and cool and makes them more comfortable. It is essential in electrifying our housing on our path to Net Zero Energy. Mia Watson, Special Programs Manager for Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), and Tina Lesem, a participant in the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP), join us to talk about the programs available to Vermont residents.

WindowDressers makes insulating homes affordable and community oriented. Their low-cost insulating window inserts that function as custom, interior-mounted storm windows are assembled by volunteers all over northern New England including a group here in Burlington. Our guests Damon Lane and Karen Bates have volunteered with WindowDressers and talk about why this is such a great solution for Vermonters at all income levels.

Peter Sterling, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Vermont (REV), joins us to talk about the challenges and opportunities we face to meet Vermont's Renewable Energy Standard. REV aims to make these goals attainable while keeping an eye on affordability and equity for all Vermonters.

Heather Ferrell, Burlington City Arts' (BCA) Curator and Director of Exhibitions, joins us today to talk about the upcoming Human Impact: Contemporary Art and Our Environment exhibit that runs from March 13to June 20, 2026. Human Impact focuses on the pressing issues facing the natural environment of New England and the global world. Featuring a group of national and internationally recognized artists, the exhibit examines our shifting perspectives and connection with the land during a time of dramatic ecological change and human advancement.

Dwight DeCoster is Program Manager for Champlain Valley Weatherization with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). The organization offers homeowners AND renters weatherization services to improve home energy efficiency and comfort, and to decrease heating bills at little or no cost to qualifying residents.

Laurie Fielder is the Vice President of Green Lending at EastRise, a credit union with offices in Burlington, South Burlington, Williston, and throughout the state. Laurie talks about the ways customers can get competitive rates on special loans for making your home more energy efficient and using less fossil fuel from EastRise and other banks in Vermont

Cara Robechek, Deputy Director and Network Manager for Energy Action Network, shares the findings in this year's 2025 Annual Progress Report for Vermont on Energy, Affordability, and Emissions. The report provides an in-depth analysis of where Vermont stands relative to its climate commitments and energy goals. This year’s report highlights the theme of affordability.

Alicia Taylor, Director of Community Engagement at CarShare Vermont, shares her family's journey to being car-free. She, her husband, and two kids have found many benefits in making the switch.

Executive Director for VEEP and NHEEP Sophia Donforth returns to the podcast to share her experiences over the last 4 years and the many great energy education services offered to schools by the organization in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Retiring Chief Forester Betsy Lesnikoski reflects on the changes and advances she has seen over her 42 years with Burlington Electric Department.

Heating season is here. Is your heat pump or heat pump water heater ready for the cold months ahead? Brandon Hayes from VGS joins us today to talk about maintaining your heat pump to help it work at peak efficiency and for many years to come.

Dave Roberts of Drive Electric Vermont joins to talk about the state of EVs and EV incentives.

Darren Springer, Burlington Electric Department General Manager, discusses the state of electric vehicle incentives at the Federal level and how BED is responding with enhanced rebates for our customers.

How are today's schoolchildren dealing with news surrounding our climate? Aziza Malik, 5th grade teacher at Champlain Elementary and Teacher of the Year 2024, and Jen Cirillo, Director of Professional Learning at Shelburne Farms talk about the strategies and realities of guiding students through this topic.

Christina Erickson, Executive Director with Local Motion, joins us to talk about the 25-year history of the organization, the Bike Ferry and the bridge over the Winooski River, their state-wide advocacy work, advocating for Safe Routes to School Program including a call for more crossing guards, and more.

Zoe Richards, Director and Founder of Burlington Wildways. Zoe is a Wildlife Biologist and currently chairs Burlington's Conservation Board. Wildways is a partnership that cares for the wild places and paths of Burlington, Vermont.

Burlington City Arborist V.J. Comai talks with us about the Emerald Ash Borer, the history, variety, and age of Burlington's canopy, lessons learned from the 1998 ice storm, and plans for Main Street and Church Street.

Nour El-Naboulsi shares the exciting - and at one point harrowing - story of converting a shipping container into the home of Village Hydroponics. The all-electric grow operation is based in the Intervale and currently supports local families from Congo, Rwanda, Nepal, and elsewhere. Nour also discusses the business model and their plans going forward.

Kevin Chu, a Vermonter from birth, is now Executive Director of the Vermont Futures Project, an independent non-partisan organization working toward encouraging long-term economic growth for Vermont. Kevin talks about how they provide useful data and recommendations to achieve this goal.

Jen Holliday is the Director of Public Policy & Communications for Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD). Jen joins us today to talk about the great strides being made in policy and in practice with our waste and recycling programs.

Christine McGowan is the Forest Products Program Director with Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund whose mission is to support Vermont's Forestry industry now and for the next generations. Christine talks about the state of Vermont's forest today and throughout history, McNeil Generating Station's relationship with the forest economy, the new Vermont Forest Future Strategic Road Map, and more.

Ace McArleton, CEO and co-founder of New Frameworks. New Frameworks prioritizes sequestering carbon with prefabricated straw panels, ADU housing, design and consulting services, and improving and updating the existing housing stock to provide healthier efficient homes.

As Senior Project Manager with Freeman French Freeman, Brian Leet is overseeing the design and build of the new Burlington High School ad Technical Center. Brian shares details on the energy saving considerations, the welcoming design and layout, and the timeline for its completion.

Burlington Electric Department is ready to help get power back online after a large outage wherever it may happen. Through the Mutual Aid program, we have sent crews all over Vermont and even to the Carolinas, Florida, and even Central America. BED's own Bob Risley and Mike Flora shares stories and discuss why it's so important to be a member of the greater community.

Travis St. Hilaire is the Supervisor for Customer Solutions at VGS. With a technical background in heat pump technology and installations, Travis is now sharing his passion for this equipment with Burlingtonians who are ready to make the switch from natural gas to net zero energy to heat their homes and water.

Mona Tolba is a shining example of community leadership through her work with the Vermont Language Justice Project and on the Just Transition Subcommittee of the Vermont Climate Council. Mona's goal is to raise the voice of community members who seldom are heard.

BED General Manager Darren Springer and VGS CEO & President Neale Lunderville join Jennifer Green for a special video Net Zero Energy Podcast to discuss the efforts and the collaboration between these two utilities. You can also watch this episode on YouTube. https://youtu.be/3gD4mjV-tG8

Sarah Camille Wilson is the Executive Director at Old Spokes Home in the Old North End of Burlington. Sarah fills us in on their programs that helps make biking accessible to everybody, their Fall Fundo, their new six-week class Mechanics 101, BED's newly increased e-bike rebates, and their annual Kids Bike Bonanza in May when they give away 150 bikes.

Bill Parizo, Director of Power System at Burlington Electric Department, shares stories of his 42 years with BED. We go all the way back to the Moran plant and switching from coal to wood chips, the conception and construction of McNeil, BED's new SCADA system, and plenty more. Bill's passionate for his work and the mission of BED are undeniable.

Kara Alnasrawi is the Director of Business and Workforce Development for the city of Burlington as well as Director of the Church Street Marketplace. We spoke about the possibilities for the Memorial block, Burlington's commercial sector's support for our NZE goals, mixed-use zoning, and the Great Streets program.

Jon Clark is the Power Production Technician at Winooski One Hydro Plant. Jon talks about the history and operations of Winooski One Hydro, the fish elevator, how to start a career in power production, and the effects of extreme weather on the health and operation of the plant.

During the pandemic, Alison Segar started making multi-lingual videos to share important information with our diverse community. This project evolved into the Vermont Language Justice Project and now creates information videos for a wide range of topics in many languages. 

George D. Martin is the President of LN Consulting. LN Consulting provides building design solutions focused on health and sustainability, forged in analysis and technology, in collaboration with our clients and the communities they serve.

In her role as an engineer at Cx Associates, Krystina Kattermann serves as the district engineer for the Burlington 2030 District and conducts energy analysis and project review. Jen and Krystina talk about how BED customers can get a free Property Energy Plan, or PEP, for their property.

Sandy Thibault, Executive Director of CATMA (Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association) shares the history of CATMA and its founding members, the CATMA app, programs that help Vermonters get around without relying on automobiles, Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, and more.

BED GM Darren Springer and Manager of Strategy and Innovation and CFO Emily Stebbins Wheelock discuss the Net Zero Energy and Grid Reliability Revenue Bond on the November ballot for voter consideration. The bond would fund additional investments in key priorities for our utility and community through the end of this decade.

Weiwei Wang is the co-director of the Vermont Professionals of Color Network. The network's mission is to advance the economic and social prosperity of people of color across the state of Vermont. They also provide consultation services to businesses and organizations.

Nic Longo is the Director of Aviation at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport. Nic joins us today to talk about the many ways BTV is working to reduce GHG emissions as well as other exciting projects on the horizon for our hometown airport.

"Sustainability" is a broad word that can include many things. At BED, sustainability means reliable, cost-effective renewable electricity and moving away from fossil fuels. Sustainability also means making Burlington more climate-resilient by creating and fostering a healthy natural environment for the people and other creatures that live here. In this episode, we learn about the sustainability work of Sam Troast, Nature-Based Climate Solutions Coordinator with the Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department, plus Sam's work to protect a group of baby snapping turtles due to hatch in late August.

Elizabeth Palchak, Director of Sustainability at UVM, joined us to talk about UVM's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through decarbonization, operations, govern and people, and academics. She reports on UVM's goals on carbon neutrality by 2030 and the recent launch of the Sustainable Solutions Lab to solve the big sustainability questions ahead of us.

Christina Erickson, Executive Director with Local Motion, joins us to talk about the 25-year history of the organization, the Bike Ferry and the bridge over the Winooski River, their state-wide advocacy work, advocating for Safe Routes to School Program including a call for more crossing guards, and more.

Thor Retzlaff of Wasted joins us for a frank and fascinating discussion about how his company's portable toilet rentals are making the most of human waste. Circular sanitation converts it into fertilizer that is used by local farmers and reduces our carbon footprint.

Lena Stier is Energy Action Network's Data Manager and Research Analyst. In this episode, we hear about what it's like being a young person in the climate and energy field, including advice to employers on empowering the next generation of climate leaders.

For our 50th episode we spoke with Mayor Miro Weinberger. He reflects on his Net Zero Energy-related accomplishments over his time in office. He also speaks to what he'd like to see Burlington take on going forward.

Will Clavelle, Assistant Director of Small Business Development for the City of Burlington talks about his journey from CEDO to the Department of Business and Workforce Development. This newly created department helped keep many businesses alive during the pandemic and they're continually working toward bringing new businesses into the City.

Ingrid Malmgren, Policy Director for Plug In America, joins us this week to talk about the national nonprofit's efforts to transition us away from fossil fuel-burning vehicles. Ingrid has worked to demonstrate the benefits of EVs to consumers, utilities, public health, the economy, the environment, energy security, and the electric grid.

Dave Low, Executive Director with 2030 Districts Network, shares the story of the creation of this organization and the great work they do in leading the effort to create a new model for urban sustainability and shared economic growth.