Green Mountain Power wants to make outages a thing of the past. Here's how.

Dan D'Ambrosio, Burlington Free Press
·3 min read

Green Mountain Power has set an ambitious goal for itself − to create an energy grid that is impervious to outages. They call it the Zero Outages Initiative, and the utility is the first in the country to aim so high.

GMP plans to achieve outage invulnerability by burying and "storm-hardening" power lines, combined with building out its network of storage batteries and so-called microgrids, which operate independently of the main grid and can provide power on a smaller scale to a town or region if the main grid goes down.

In 2021, GMP piloted a solar-powered microgrid project in Panton, the first of its kind in the country. Josh Castonguay, chief innovation and engineering executive for GMP, told the Burlington Free Press in 2021 the site generates 5 megawatts of solar power, enough to provide electricity for just under 1,500 homes for a year. Tesla batteries were installed to store power, making the microgrid a giant, solar-powered backup battery to be used during outages.

Solar panels cover more than 30 acres in Panton to power its microgrid, as seen on March 16, 2021.
Solar panels cover more than 30 acres in Panton to power its microgrid, as seen on March 16, 2021.

All the work to make the Zero Outages Initiative a reality will be done by 2030, if everything goes according to plan.

"We all see the severe impacts from storms, we know the impact outages have on your lives, and the status quo is no longer enough," Mari McClure, GMP president and CEO, said in a statement. "We are motivated to do all we can to combat climate change and create a Vermont that is sustainable and affordable, but we must move faster."

What will Zero Outages cost?

What will this cost? Quite a bit. The Zero Outages filing with regulators calls for an investment of $280 million over the next two years, $250 million of which is for undergrounding and storm-hardening lines, and $30 million for energy storage. And that's just Phase 1.

After working through much of the night, Green Mountain Power linemen Garth Lizotte and Jacob Rieder were able to take a break after restoring power to Gentes Road in Essex, Vermont, on Nov. 28, 2018. Heavy, wet snow weighed down tree limbs and power lines, cutting power across Vermont.
After working through much of the night, Green Mountain Power linemen Garth Lizotte and Jacob Rieder were able to take a break after restoring power to Gentes Road in Essex, Vermont, on Nov. 28, 2018. Heavy, wet snow weighed down tree limbs and power lines, cutting power across Vermont.

"The second phase of the initiative will involve another filing with regulators and will seek approval to accelerate and expand beyond 2026, while outages and associated repair costs start to drop off," GMP states.

Offsetting the costs of the Zero Outages initiative, according to GMP, are the costs associated with fixing the damage from major storms, which GMP characterizes as "escalating and not sustainable."

More: State regulator lifts cap on home battery storage systems in response to climate change

"Since 2014, major storms caused $115 million in damage across GMP's service area, with 60% of that in the last five years, 40% of that in just the last two years, and the $45 million in 2023 was the most yet," GMP stated. "That is money spent to repair the existing system and get customers reconnected after storm damage, and it does not prevent future outages."

Zero Outages called a game-changer for customers and line workers

This is where climate change comes in.

"We know that we will continue to see an increase in extreme weather events, and research shows that every dollar invested in disaster preparedness and mitigation ultimately saves several times more in avoided response and recovery costs, while also preventing health and safety impacts," Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Climate School, said in a statement.

On the subject of health and safety, Rutland-based GMP Lineman Mike Tyler called the Zero Outages Initiative a "game-changer."

"For customers, the lights stay on for them, and then for us in the field, it increases safety," Tyler said in a statement. "Every line worker I know has had a close call, and being up on a pole when there is a big gust of wind isn't a great feeling. Our exposure to the most severe elements will be reduced with Zero Outages, and our neighbors stay powered up."

Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosi@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Green Mountain Power proposes plan to prevent power outages