South Burlington, VT – Construction has started on a first-of-its-kind neighborhood in South Burlington.

On Friday developers broke ground on what will be a climate-resilient community completely free of fossil fuels.

The 155-home neighborhood, called ‘Hillside East’ is being built by longtime home builder O’Brien brothers. The homes will be energy efficient and completely powered by clean electricity.

Officials with the company say this is the culmination of years of work.

Once complete, the homes will be able to be recognized with the U.S Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home certification, and Energy Star certification.