Alone in the sunshine-flooded room of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, state Rep. Steve Darrow recalls the impact of the national energy crisis of the 1970s. Then, public buildings shut off unneeded lights to conserve energy, commuters began carpooling, and homeowners turned down thermostats and put on sweaters. In Vermont it was a boom time for the woodstove industry and loggers. Everyone, it seemed, was splitting and stacking wood out of necessity.... Read more