Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Tuesday, around 200 people attended the 4^th Annual Opioid Forum at Green Mountain Technology and Career Center in Hyde Park. This year’s forum was a community call to action and gathering of hope, in honor of Jenna Rae Tatro (1992-2019). Governor Phil Scott began the evening by signing S.146, an act relating to substance misuse prevention and touched on the important work happening to combat substance use disorders. 

“I can’t underscore enough, the importance of connecting with other people and knowing that someone is there to give you a helping hand while in recovery,” said Governor Scott. “Tonight, we must recommit ourselves to the important work ahead and continue to work together, because in order to win this battle, we need to prioritize prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery,” Governor Scott added.

Vermont Business Magazine A range of non-profits that support downtown and community revitalization, energy education, and public safety received grants this spring from Vermont Electric Cooperative’s Community Fund. The Community Fund is a program voluntarily funded by VEC members who round up their electric bills, and from one-time donations, and donation of patronage capital dollars. The fund makes grants to local organizations that support economic security, energy education, emergency and disaster relief, and community development.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), with Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and 16 other senators, Wednesday sent a letter to Phyllis K. Fong, the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to request an investigation into potential instances of suppression and alteration of scientific reports, documents, or communications produced by USDA.

Vermont Business Magazine The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced a public meeting to be held in Vernon to discuss the best practices and lessons learned associated with community and citizen advisory boards (“CABs”) associated with decommissioning plant activities, like those ongoing in Vernon relating to the decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. The meetings are required under a provision secured by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) in the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act. The public meeting is tentatively expected to take place between August and October.

“Communities experiencing the safety and economic impacts of nuclear plant decommissioning deserve a role in shaping those decommissioning plans for nuclear reactors near them,” Sanders said. “This input is especially critical given the potential for non-operational plants to sit for decades before removal and decontamination.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today that the State of Vermont has taken a major environmental action to protect Vermont’s drinking water and natural resources by filing two lawsuits against companies for the manufacturing and distribution of PFAS chemicals and PFAS-containing products in Vermont. The lawsuits name the 3M Company and EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) and related DuPont companies as the major chemical makers who manufactured and distributed PFAS chemicals and related products.

Vermont Business Magazine The Peck Company (NASDAQ:PECK), a leading commercial solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, announced Wednesday an initial agreement to construct a portfolio of solar PV arrays generating 7 megawatts for one of its customers. This customer currently owns several hundred million dollars in solar assets and also has a backlog of several hundred million dollars in new projects where they need partners for EPC development, a core competency of The Peck Company.

The projected revenue from the portfolio of projects is approximately $17 million, and each project is subject to a customary EPC contract. The customer's named has not been publicized. The Peck Company will provide further updates on each specific contract.

Vermont Business Magazine The US House of Representatives last week approved a bipartisan bill authored by Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) that will protect Vermont seniors and others from abuse and neglect by bad actors in the Medicaid program. The bill was co-authored by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and approved on a strong bipartisan vote of 371 to 46.

Under current law, state-based Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) are only authorized to investigate fraud and abuse that occurs in health care facilities. Welch’s legislation expands their authority to detect, investigate, and prosecute fraud and abuse in non-institutional settings as well. In most states, MCFUs are overseen by state attorneys general.

Vermont Business Magazine The Peck Company, a leading commercial solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, on Tuesday provided an update to investors on the company’s business and strategic growth plan as a public company. Peck, formerly Peck Electric, was acquired by Jensyn Acquisition Corp of Freehold, NJ, on June 20. The Peck management team has assumed leadership of the now-publicly traded company and is based in South Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine Many species of wild bumblebees are in decline—and new research shows that diseases spread by domestic honeybees may be a major culprit. Several of the viruses associated with bumblebees’ trouble are moving from managed bees in apiaries to nearby populations of wild bumblebees—“and we show this spillover is likely occurring through flowers that both kinds of bees share,” says Samantha Alger, a scientist at the University of Vermont who led the new research.

Vermont Business Magazine The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) and the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) recently completed a tree planting at Billings Farm in Woodstock. A total of 112 trees were planted along the Ottauquechee River thanks to the help of 9 volunteers, including members of the Greater Upper Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited, Sustainable Woodstock, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, the Ottauquechee River Group, and additional members of the community! These trees will help protect the Ottauquechee River by slowing rainwater runoff, capturing carbon dioxide, and improving water quality.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Parks is happy to announce an exciting new program geared towards helping campers and would-be campers enjoy cooking over a campfire at Vermont’s 55 beautiful state parks. All summer, we’ll be sharing creative recipes that can be prepared with minimal equipment, and which make use of the bounty of ingredients made and grown by the state’s farmers and food producers.

Vermont Business Magazine Starting July 1, 2019, an applicant for a generation facility within Vermont, including all net-metering facilities, must pay an application fee. The fee must be paid in advance of filing the application with the Public Utility Commission. An application to construct or modify a generation facility that is filed with the Public Utility Commission must include a form indicating that the fee has been paid.