Burlington mayor aims to electrify the city

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Burlington is continuing to move ahead with its plan to become a net-zero city by 2030.

On Wednesday, Mayor Miro Weinberger, the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network, and Rewiring America hosted a town hall meeting encouraging individuals to get involved.

Weinberger says this plan won’t work unless people are on board.

That’s why they have signs up at the Burlington Electric Company, comparing the price of gasoline and the price of electricity.

Going net zero means completely eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Last year, voters passed a $20 million bond for the efforts.

Weinberger says the city is currently working to electrify its entire truck fleet and municipal buildings. They’re working with the electric company and other community resources to make that happen.

Weinberger says it’s important they take a data-driven approach.

“We’ve got a long way to go with this. It’s a communitywide goal. To reach it, we need every household and every business to understand the climate importance and financial implications of electrification,” said Weinberger, D-Burlington.

Weinberger says fossil fuels went down in 2019 and 2020, saying this puts them on track to meet the 2030 goal.

If you missed the town hall Wednesday, there is a recording of it on the mayor’s Facebook page.

There will be another town hall next Wednesday.

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