Republican Gov. Phil Scott is rolling back Vermont’s ambitious energy code and relaxing other permitting rules in a bid to get more homes built.
Scott signed an executive order Wednesday that reinstates the 2020 version of Vermont’s building codes. The state had updated building codes in 2024 to add heavier insulation requirements, stricter energy efficiency standards and electric vehicle charging capacity.
Scott’s order also relaxes project reviews around wetlands, requires permits to be automatically approved if reviews exceed deadlines and begins an inventory of state land that could be sold for housing development. He also directed state agencies to give building permits top priority, and he asked the judiciary to do the same for housing cases.
“I think everyone agrees we have a housing crisis,” Scott said Wednesday at a press conference with home developers. He added the state needs to build 40,000 houses over the next five years.
