Chittenden County, VT — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

State §248 CPG required (preempts local zoning). No county-level setbacks codified.

Vermont PUC §248 Certificate of Public Good (CPG) required; no separate county permit.

Very favorable — UVM/Burlington progressive; BED 100% renewable leader; §248 pathway

W VT; Burlington (UVM/Champlain College) area; most progressive VT county; VT's only urban center; active solar; Burlington Electric leader; §248 CPG required; BED 100% renewables

Improving

Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) issues Certificate of Public Good (CPG) under 30 VSA §248 for all utility-scale energy projects — Vermont has the lowest preemption threshold in the nation (effectively preempts local zoning for virtually all commercial solar). Section 248 Certificate of Public Good: required for any solar facility of sufficient scale. PUC must consider impacts on aesthetics, orderly development, wildlife, primary agricultural soils, and surrounding municipalities. 'Shocking or offensive' aesthetics standard applied by PUC. Act 174 (2016): municipalities/regions that adopt enhanced energy plans receive 'substantial deference' in §248 proceedings — key tool for local influence without blocking. Local governments cannot require separate approvals once CPG is issued, but can participate as formal parties in §248 proceedings. Vermont Agency of Agriculture reviews projects ≥50 kW on agricultural soils; must appear at hearings for projects >500 kW. ISO-NE interconnection required statewide.

Vermont RPS: 75% renewable by 2032; 90% by 2050 (Renewable Energy Standard). Group Net Metering: allows multiple accounts to share credits from a solar array. VT CEDF (Clean Energy Development Fund): grants and loans for solar projects via VDPSMR. Sustainably Priced Energy Enterprise Development (SPEED): qualifying facility program. VT Green Mountain Power (GMP) solar programs: shared solar, community resilience hubs. Act 174 (2016): municipal/regional energy plans can affect siting approvals. Utility: Green Mountain Power serves most of VT; Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) serves Northeast Kingdom; Washington Electric Coop serves Orange/Washington county area.

Multiple VT PUC §248 Certificate of Public Good (CPG)-approved solar arrays in Chittenden County (Burlington metro). Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves Chittenden County. GMP Solar - Panton Hybrid | Panton (Addison/Chittenden area) | GMP community solar project (Cleanview Mar 2026 list). Burlington Electric Department (BED): 100% renewable since 2014; multiple solar arrays in Burlington including One Burlington project. Williston, Shelburne, South Burlington: active commercial solar corridor. Charlotte, VT: PUC §248 preempts local zoning for utility-scale solar.

VT PUC §248 review active — some Chittenden County projects receive intervenor opposition on aesthetics ("modified Quechee test" applies per PUC process). No confirmed blanket denials for Chittenden County.