Case Study: U.S. Department of Energy advances Vermont’s solar transition with VEIC

U.S. Department of Energy charts Vermont’s path to 20% solar with VEIC

The U.S. Department of Energy, in partnership with the state of Vermont, faced the challenge of determining how solar energy could contribute to an ambitious goal of 90% renewable energy by 2050. State officials needed more data to understand the potential for solar production and to plan effective clean energy programs. VEIC was engaged to provide its decarbonization planning services to address this challenge.

VEIC spent three years modeling various scenarios for increasing solar installations, identifying potential challenges, and developing mitigation strategies. The resulting Vermont Solar Market Pathways report, published in 2016 and updated in 2020, proved that supplying 20% of Vermont's electricity from solar by 2025 was feasible and outlined a plan for implementation. The analysis by VEIC found that this goal could yield approximately $8 billion in net benefits by 2050, primarily from reduced fuel costs, and that the state's grid could support this level of solar generation with careful siting and some upgrades.

U.S. Department of Energy