The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) Highlights GMP’s Suite of Industry-Leading Resiliency Projects Benefitting All Customers
COLCHESTER, Vt. – Green Mountain Power (GMP) was honored for its resiliency work benefitting all customers, earning Power Player of the Year for Resiliency by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), a national non-profit dedicated to accelerating the electric power industry’s transformation to a clean energy future through education, research, standards, and collaboration. The SEPA Power Player Awards recognize national excellence and leadership in energy innovation and encourage practical solutions towards a clean, resilient, cost-effective energy system benefitting all.
“This team at GMP is driven to deliver solutions that work for customers, and our resiliency projects are more important than ever. Climate change is the largest challenge of our time, and together with our customers we’re creating an energy system that ensures a stronger, more cost-effective and equitable Vermont. We’re so grateful for this honor and it motivates us to keep going and keep pushing for solutions,” said Mari McClure, Green Mountain Power president and CEO.
GMP was honored for a suite of projects launched in 2023 that increase resiliency and cost savings for customers while also increasing equity at the same time:
- Lifting the enrollment cap on its industry-leading home energy storage programs with signups and installations more than doubling since then.
- The Resilient Neighborhood pilot program with 155 all-electric and fully storm resilient homes in South Burlington, Vermont.
- GMP’s 2030 Zero Outages Initiative, a data driven plan using a three-pronged approach of undergrounding lines, storm hardening above ground lines, and bringing energy storage to all – creating layers of resiliency across Vermont to deliver a zero outage experience for customers by 2030.
Erik Holm was looking at a very long waitlist for home batteries in Middlebury, until the program enrollment cap was lifted. He says the Powerwalls have been a game changer during storms.
“Lifting the cap meant we got batteries in the house years ahead of schedule, and they provide great peace of mind because the weather is getting worse. We’d only had the batteries for a couple of months when that big windstorm happened here in January, and the home seamlessly switched over to the batteries and stayed powered up for 36 hours. The heat, lights, everything we needed worked. The program has been amazing,” Holm said.
The annual awards from SEPA honor utilities, corporations, policy makers and regulators across the U.S. who played an essential role in six key categories that are critical to transitioning the nation’s energy system to take on climate change with clean, reliable, cost-effective electricity. The Power Player Awards are granted out for: resilience, transportation, energy storage, emerging technology, policy, and energy equity. Details about all six Power Player award winners are available on SEPA’s website.
“Recognizing and celebrating the phenomenal accomplishments of our outstanding Power Player Award winners, finalists, and nominees provides our sector with boundless inspiration,” shared Sheri Givens, President and CEO of SEPA. “Their steadfast commitment to advancing tangible, real-world solutions in clean energy underscores our shared journey towards a cleaner tomorrow. Each of these projects exemplifies innovation, leadership, and teamwork – fundamental elements propelling us toward a brighter future.”
In addition to the links provided above, more details about GMP’s resiliency work are available online:
- Residential home energy storage program options and sign up info here
- Resilient Neighborhood design options and neighborhood info here
- 2030 Zero Outages Initiative regulatory filing here
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power serves more than 275,000 residential and business customers in Vermont with electricity that’s 100% carbon free and 80% renewable on an annual basis. GMP is partnering with customers to provide solutions that deliver resiliency and affordability while cutting carbon and costs for all. GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. GMP was named to Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies in the World list, the sixth time earning that honor. In 2024, 2023 and 2021 the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) honored GMP as a nationwide leader in energy transformation. And, in 2022 GMP was named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential Companies for its groundbreaking resiliency work to transform the grid for customers.
This team at GMP is driven to deliver solutions that work for customers, and our resiliency projects are more important than ever. Climate change is the largest challenge of our time, and together with our customers we’re creating an energy system that ensures a stronger, more cost-effective and equitable Vermont.
Mari McClure, Green Mountain Power president and CEO
