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Vermont has long treated air conditioning as optional. A warming climate could be changing that.

The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for much of Vermont, where the heat index could feel like 105 degrees each afternoon from Wednesday through Friday once humidity is factored in.
Although Vermont historically maintains the third-lowest air conditioner ownership rate in the United States, about two-thirds of homes now own some form of cooling device as summers grow hotter.
Data from the National Weather Service shows days above 85 degrees have risen to 31 annually. Tony Rowell, owner of Premier Heating and AC in Barre, reports customers now seek heat pumps primarily for cooling, saying "especially when I first started, that always shocked me."
Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University, warned that roughly 40,000 schools nationwide lack adequate HVAC systems, leaving students to swelter in classrooms at 80 degrees or hotter.
Successful heat action plans require funding and implementation, Ward emphasizes. Policymakers must account for rising cooling demand when designing energy assistance programs to ensure residents remain safe during future heat waves.

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