The bill H.676, which recognizes solar developers that adhere to a voluntary standard for establishing a pollinator-friendly habitat label on solar sites, went into effect on July 1.
This bill encourages solar developers to create pollinator and bird habitat when designing and constructing solar sites. To officially be pollinator friendly, a solar installer must complete the Solar Site Pollinator Scorecard, developed by Audubon Vermont and its partners, and modeled after a similar initiative in Minnesota. Sites can be built to this standard or retrofitted after construction. Audubon Vermont's role in this effort has focused on how the buffer areas around the solar sites can be planted to enhance habitat for both birds and pollinators.
H.676 helps advance renewable energy and protect pollinators in Vermont. For more information on the Solar Pollinator initiative, visit: https://vt.audubon.org/solar
