(Host) Governor Jim Douglas predicts the public will soon get to review Vermont’s draft energy plan. The 20-year energy plan will reflect the Douglas administration’s policy on issues such as energy conservation and future power supplies.
A top state official said last week that the draft plan may not get released before Election Day. But on Thursday, Douglas said the draft is almost ready for release.
(Douglas) “I don’t know what the exact time frame is but I think you’ll see a new draft fairly soon. After the initial draft was presented, there was obviously some interest and frankly some controversy. Commissioner O’Brien has been spending a lot of time with public meetings, meetings that are not public with various interest groups. There’s been a public comment period and I expect that we’ll see a new draft based on those comments quite soon.”
(Host) The first draft of the energy plan became a political liability for the Douglas administration when it was released last winter. The lead author of the document, energy planning director Jonathan Lesser, has since quit state government to work as a private consultant.