The Northeast is emerging as a clean energy leader

This year, Grassroots Solar announced partnerships with SunPower, a leading U.S. rooftop solar company, and sonnenBatterie, a German storage company, allowing Laberge to provide his customers with both solar technology and innovative battery backup — and he’s also capitalizing on a Vermont’s push for consumers to use cold-climate heat pumps and switch to electric cars. “We just did a system for a couple who only required 24 panels to cover their current needs, but [who knew they’d] eventually put in cold-climate heat pumps and electric cars,’’ Laberge said. “We put in 36 panels — more than they need now — and they are selling the excess to one of their neighbors.”  This story isn’t unique to Vermont. Laberge and other entrepreneurs are part of a larger trend toward clean energy that is underway across the Northeast. That trend is largely being driven by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative(RGGI), a coalition of nine states — New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Delaware and Connecticut — that was established in 2005 as the nation’s first carbon trading market. RGGI member states limit carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector by auctioning off emissions allowances. The money from the auctions goes back into energy efficiency programs, consumer rebates, and clean energy projects. RGGI funds have helped Vermont set up energy efficiency rebates and incentives through the local utilities. Now, homeowners are cutting their energy usage and signing up for solar — sold by small business owners like Leberge.