Last week, Green Mountain Power visited our campus with four of their fleet electric vehicles. A group of National Life and state employees attended an info session and then had a chance to test drive the four different models. One test driver wondered how EVs would perform on the dirt road that he lives on. After a test drive lap on Dog River Road in inclement February weather, the car had proven its off-pavement worthiness!
With one of the cleanest electric grids, Vermont is one of the best states to charge an electric vehicle in. The Energy Action Network estimates that we will need to add 90,000 EVs to our roads by 2025 to meet the state’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2018 there were less than 3,000.
In 2010, our VT office significantly reduced our carbon footprint by switching to a woodchip heating system. Burning 3,000 tons of woodchips saves 200,000 gallons of heating oil each year. Burning 200,000 gallons of oil releases 2,200 tons of CO2. By comparison, a year of employee commuting in VT releases 2,800 tons of CO2 in vehicle emissions. With transportation the largest share of our carbon footprint, electric vehicles are a great way to reduce our impact.
Interested in an EV? You’ll be able to charge at work with one of the four EV charging ports on the second level of our parking garage. For information on models and incentives see https://www.driveelectricvt.com/.