An act relating to amending the criteria of 30 V.S.A. § 248

This bill modifies Vermont's public utility commission rules for approving new gas and electric facilities by narrowing the criteria that adjoining landowners can use to challenge projects. Under the proposed changes, neighbors living near proposed facilities would only be allowed to intervene in public hearings if they can prove the project would negatively impact public health and safety or traffic, removing their ability to raise concerns about aesthetics. The legislation also eliminates aesthetics as a formal criterion for the commission's final decision on whether a facility serves the public good, while retaining protections for public health, safety, traffic, and environmental factors. These amendments would take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to all new energy purchases, investments, and facility constructions in the state.