MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont is reaffirming its commitment to getting 90 percent of the state’s energy from renewable sources by 2050, and on Tuesday, Gov. Peter Shumlin, administration officials and lawmakers outlined some of the states that are being proposed to help achieve that goal.

The state’s updated comprehensive energy plan adds interim goals to help achieve the goal, including reaffirming the state law that requires the state to get 25 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2025.

“There is nothing more important for this state than to move to green, clean renewable power, create jobs and put money in Vermonters’ pockets while we do it,” said Shumlin, who called the plan “an updated roadmap” to achieving the goal.

Other goals set out in the plan released Tuesday include reducing total energy consumption per capita by 15 percent by the year 2025, and by more than one third by 2050, and to get 40 percent renewable energy by 2035.

Other goals set for 2025 include 10 percent renewable energy transportation, 30 percent for buildings and 67 percent for renewable electric power.

It also calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and 80 to 95 percent reductions by 2050.

Shumlin said that since he took office five years ago, the number of solar panels has increased by 10 times, there are wind projects, energy efficiency programs are creating jobs and helping people save money on their heating and cooling bills. And the clean energy industry supports 16,200 jobs.

While progress has been made, he said more needs to be done, such as getting more people to use electric vehicles, which cost the equivalent of $1 gallon in fuel costs.



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