BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The Burlington Electric Department has learned it can sell renewable energy credits to Maine.

BED has been selling RECs to Connecticut for years, but after a reporting mistake in 2024 — and Connecticut changing its REC market policies — BED no longer qualified.

The utility sells the credits through the McNeil Power Generating Station, which BED owns half of. BED’s Darren Springer says this will generate roughly $7 or $8 million, about the same they were getting from Connecticut. That compares to about $1 million they would bring in from Vermont.

“It also gives us some opportunities as we’re currently working on to explore avenues to be more efficient at McNeil and to reduce some of our environmental footprint,” Springer said.

He says it’s a way to generate revenue without raising rates and continue efforts to stay 100% renewable.

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