Net Zero Energy Burlington VT

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 w...

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.