About Vermont Apollo

The Vermont Apollo Alliance is made up of organizations from the environmental, labor, business, agriculture, social justice, and community sectors working together to promote good jobs and energy independence for Vermont. We are a franchise of the national Apollo Alliance, which is bringing together diverse constituencies at the local, state and federal level around the country to create good jobs and achieve sustainable American energy independence in one generation.

Our Mission

Members of the Vermont Apollo Alliance are working together to create a more energy efficient and diversified, in-state generated renewable energy economy. Our goal is to create hundreds of good jobs and increase the state’s economic and environmental security. Integral to these efforts is adopting policies that support R&D in clean energy technologies and encourage energy-related businesses to locate in the Green Mountain State. We take the name “Apollo” to invoke President John F. Kennedy’s bold challenge to put a man on the moon – a challenge America accepted and met. An Apollo project for our age must be equally bold and unite Americans to a new challenge – energy freedom.

Americans have always pulled together during tough times to accomplish great missions. We can do it again. This time we need a ‘moon-shot’ for energy independence and good jobs. A crash program for sustainable energy independence would create three million good jobs, free the nation from imported oil, and promote a healthier environment. States and cities are leading the way toward a clean energy future. Now, the time has come for our nation to take up the challenge.

Members of the Vermont Apollo Alliance

The Vermont Apollo Alliance is made up of the following organizations:

Environment
VT Public Interest Research Group
VT Natural Resources Council
Biomass Energy Resource Council
Alliance for Climate Action
Vermonters for a Clean Environment
Vermont Biofuels Association

Labor
VT NEA
VT State Employees Association
IBEW – (Local 300)
Iron Workers Local 474
VT AFL-CIO
Teamsters, Local 1
High Road Vermont, Ltd
VT Building & Construction Trades Council
Northern New England Tradeswomen Inc

Business
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Ben & Jerry’s
Northern Power Systems
Seventh Generation
Global Resource Options
Native Energy
Burlington Electric Department
Washington Electric Co-op
VT Businesses for Social Responsibility
Renewable Energy Vermont
East Haven Wind Farm
Keith Dewey Associates
Solar Store

Community
New England Grassroots Environmental Fund
Gund Institute, Univ. of Vermont

Supportive Legislators and State Officials
Sen Matt Dunne
Sen Ginny Lyons
Sen Claire Ayer
Sen. Gaye Symington
Sen Vince Illuzzi
Rep. Steve Darrow
Rep. Tony Klein
Rep. Floyd Nease
Rep. Alice Nitkin
Rep Steve Meyer
Rep Robert Dostis
Rep Sue Minter
State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding

We are in the process of formally bringing on new organizations to the Vermont Apollo Alliance. This list will grow over the next few months.

Our Steering Committee
James Moore, VPIRG
Beth Sachs, VEIC
Paul Comey, Green Coffee Mountain Roasters
Dan Brush, Change to Win Coalition
Traven Leyshon, AFL-CIO
Mary Sullivan, Burlington Electric Department
Debra Sachs, Alliance for Climate Action

Organizations that support this policy agenda and would like to work collaboratively with other members of the Vermont Apollo Alliance are encouraged to join us during one of our monthly meetings.

Standards for Member Organizations

We ask all members of the Vermont Apollo Alliance to adhere to the following standards:

Help advance the identified policy agenda over the next 8-12 months;
Attend bi-monthly (or monthly) meetings of the Vermont Apollo Alliance to make decisions about our work together;
Agree to mutually established bottom lines for each member’s participation in the Vermont Apollo Alliance, and agree to adhere to those while we are members of the Alliance;
Agree to support each other, to work together in a positive way, not to undermine other members of the alliance or to disparage their positions in public; and
Recognize that our bottom lines may diverge at some point, members may leave the Alliance at any time, but agree to give notice to the other members and leave amicably.

Our History and Past Accomplishments

Organizations from Vermont’s environmental, labor and business communities came together in late 2005 to form the Vermont Apollo Alliance. The member organizations successfully focused their efforts on several high-priority policies during the 2006 state legislative session. Read more about our accomplishments>>

Legislative Priorities for the 2006 session

Long-term Goal (3 yrs): Through the promotion of diversified, Vermont generated renewable power, more efficient buildings and a locally based more energy efficient economy, members of the labor, business, environmental and social justice communities will increase Vermont’s economic and environmental security. Integral to these efforts is fostering a skilled workforce and policies that promote family wage jobs.

Short-term Goal (1 year): Achieve measurable success in the 2006 legislature through the passage of X number of the Apollo Alliance supported legislative initiatives. The priority initiatives will be those that will set the Apollo Alliance members up for larger victories in the 2006 and 2007 legislative sessions.

Priorities Tier 1:

Renewable Energy Future Bill: This bill is designed to set up a 2006 summer study commission tasked with returning to the legislature with policy recommendation as to how Vermont could generate 2 million MW/hrs of instate renewable generation by 2011-2013.

The study group would allow a coalition, supported by the VT Apollo Alliance, ample time to do a comprehensive jobs analysis, economic impact analysis and environmental analysis designed to support growth in the distributed generation, renewable energy and forest industries. We would also be able to examine if appropriate opportunities exist to invest state pension funds to support any part of the renewable energy future.

Non-Regulated Fuel Energy Efficiency Retrofit Study Bill: This bill is designed to set up a 2006 summer study commission tasked with returning to the legislature with policy recommendations as to how Vermont could improve the fuel efficiency of its existing buildings to make them more efficient in their use of non-regulated fuels.

The study committee would examine how much cost-effective potential there is, who would primarily benefit from additional non-regulated fuel efficiency, how to best administer a program designed to capture that potential and how to fund such an initiative? Again a comprehensive jobs analysis, economic impact analysis and environmental analysis would be completed. We would also be able to examine if appropriate opportunities exist to invest state pension funds to support any part of the non-regulated fuel efficiency effort.

Priorities Tier 2:

1. Climate Bill: This bill will set strict guidelines on the amount of greenhouse gas pollution the state of Vermont is aloud to produce. The bill would also require that all state agencies consider climate change in their analysis when spending tax dollars on a project. The passage of this bill would facilitate the Apollo Alliance’s ability to move renewable energy, weatherization and other energy security legislation in the future.

2. Bio-fuels Standard Bill: This bill would require the production and or distribution of a % or quantity of bio-fuels in the state of Vermont. This effort should support sustainable agriculture jobs as well as slightly reduce global warming pollution from the transportation sector.

Priorities Tier 3:

1. FeeBate Bill: This bill is designed to incentivise the purchase of more fuel efficient vehicles and through an adjustable sales tax or registration fee.

2. Appliance Efficiency Standards Bill: This bill is designed to save ratepayers money and reduce the amount of electricity consumed in Vermont by requiring more energy efficient appliances like furnaces, boilers and state regulated reflector lamps.

Contact Information

To find out more about the Vermont Apollo Alliance or to join us, please contact:
Richard Eidlin (eidlin@apolloalliance.org)
The Apollo Alliance
303-478-0131