Middlebury to Host U.S. Energy Secretary and Congressional Delegation at Energy Summit

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Middlebury College will host U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Patrick Leahy, Rep. Peter Welch, and Gov. Peter Shumlin at the “Vermont Sustainable Energy Summit” on Friday, May 16, from 10-11:30 a.m. in McCullough Student Center. The event, which was organized by Sanders’ office, is free and open to the public, and will include remarks from the delegation, a short keynote talk by Moniz, and panel discussions with Vermont energy leaders. The discussion will focus on issues of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and how to combat climate change.

Sanders, who serves on the Senate energy committee, initiated the visit from Moniz to demonstrate some of the ways that Vermont is leading a national transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources. “Unless we take bold action to reverse climate change, our children and grandchildren are going to look back on this period in history and ask a very simple question: ‘Where were they? Why didn’t the United States lead the international community in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and preventing devastating damage to our planet?,’” said Sanders.

Secretary Moniz will speak about federal perspectives on climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency and will learn about Vermont’s progress towards a clean energy future from a panel of Vermont sustainable energy leaders, including representatives from Efficiency Vermont, the Department of Public Service, Green Mountain Power, Middlebury College, and the University of Vermont.

Middlebury has made significant investments in a sustainable energy future, framed by its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2016. The college is working toward this on several fronts, including energy conservation and efficiency, renewable fuel sources, technology innovation, and education. Middlebury cut its carbon footprint nearly in half when it replaced a million gallons of #6 heating fuel annually with carbon-neutral, locally grown wood chips at its biomass gasification plant.

The Energy Summit is free and open to the public. Parking is available at the Mahaney Center for the Arts parking lot, off Porter Field Road.