Our group’s mission is to “identify opportunities to decrease our town’s consumption of natural resources and to create sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.” The proposed Energy Plan for Williston embodies this mission!

Being a community means coming together to solve problems that we can’t solve by ourselves and an organized collective approach is the only solution to the climate crisis we face. This plan focuses on making town-wide changes that include everyone and result in a bigger impact as we act together.

In 2018 the Town of Williston passed a Renewable Energy Resolution at Town Meeting demonstrating that Willistonians care about this issue. Vermont already has a goal of 90% renewable energy by 2050, but experts say we need to act even faster! We can’t afford to wait for action at global, national or state levels to get started and be a leader in local resilience.

The Energy Plan supports the environmental and financial health of our town now and into the future. Residents and businesses are expected to save money. It also creates jobs, including hiring an Energy Coordinator, specifically for Williston, to carry out this plan and make it a reality. Plus there are real costs to not acting on climate (the Shunpike Rd culvert washout is an example) and this plan helps Williston take a proactive approach to reducing our emissions and becoming more resilient.

If you’ve been wanting to do something about climate change, or maybe you already are but feel like your individual actions just aren’t adding up to enough impact, this is a chance to make a difference! Please consider showing your support by signing this letter to the Williston Selectboard, sharing it with neighbors, and attending the public forum on this topic on 7/28 at 8pm.