Current News

by Alan Panebaker vtdigger.orgThe Vermont Senate isn’t quite sure how ‘smart’ wireless smart meters are.
So it wants the Department of Public Service to study the costs of removing the meters and the meter reading fees for those who choose not to have them.
On Friday, the Senate passed S.214, which would require the department to produce the study by March 1, 2013.
Smart meters, or ‘S-Meters,’ provide detailed information about electricity usage. Utilities tout the benefits of the up-to-date information. The meters allow for faster outage detection, help customers make more informed decisions on when to use electricity, and reduce peak demand for electricity when utilities are buying expensive power from plants that burn fossil fuels.
On the other hand, citizens’ groups say they have concerns about the health effects from radio frequencies the wireless smart meters emit and privacy issues involved with the detailed usage information.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.orgFinally, after the economic doldrums of the last few year, Vermont is seeing a few positive indicators. The state had the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the country at 4.9 percent last month, and recently ranked No. 1 with regard to the green economy.
The Green Mountain State has the highest per capita ‘green goods and services’ jobs in the country, according to a new survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 4.4 percent of Vermonters, or 12,844 people, are employed in the green sector.
Download a synopsis of the survey.
About 3.1 million Americans worked in the green economy in 2010. Major industries counted in the survey included manufacturers that recycle materials, and make hybrid cars, efficient appliances or pollution mitigation equipment. Waste management and professional jobs are also part of the mix ‘ engineers, architects, computer systems design.

At a meeting of the Vermont Climate Cabinet today Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz, Transportation Secretary Brian Searles, and Public Service Commissioner Elizabeth Miller signed an agreement to advance ‘Project Get Ready,’ a collaborative effort to prepare Vermont for electric vehicles that will be facilitated by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation and the Rocky Mountain Institute.
This partnership will engage stakeholders from electric utilities, automobile dealerships, and regional planning organizations, along with state and local government representatives, in order to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles across Vermont.

Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell, along with the Attorneys General of New York, California, and eight other states, joined a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that U.S. immigration policy may be set only by the federal government and that Arizona’s illegal immigration legislation is inconsistent with, and preempted by, federal law.
Arizona’s law requires its State law enforcement officials to engage in enforcement activities to detain and arrest individuals who appear to be undocumented immigrants, without regard to federal immigration priorities. The Arizona law also criminalizes any work, effort to work, or failure to comply with federal registration requirements by undocumented immigrants.

by Alan Panebaker vtdigger.orgThe state’s natural gas utility is looking for a place to put a pipeline expansion into Addison County, and an existing easement owned by the Vermont Electric Power Company looks like a good bet.
Vermont Gas Systems received state approval last fall to create a fund that would allow it to keep $4.4 million annually to pay for an expansion into the Middlebury and Vergennes areas.
Earlier this month, the gas utility approached VELCO’s operating committee with the proposal to locate the $60-million expansion route along the electric transmission corridor south of Route 89 between Taft Corners and New Haven.
Steve Wark, director of communications for Vermont Gas Systems, said the communications with VELCO are preliminary. The gas utility plans to file for a permit at the end of this year or early in 2012, Wark said.

Attorney General William Sorrell is warning consumers of a new telephone scam in which callers, claiming to be from Microsoft, state that the consumer’s computer has been infected with a virus and/or a series of operating system errors. The caller then asks the consumer to allow them remote access to the consumer’s computer to ‘fix’ the problem.
Consumers should be aware that this remote access can provide full access to all of the files stored on the computer, as well as to internet browsing history. It gives scammers an opportunity to install malware such as ‘keyloggers’ that can capture sensitive information such as bank account numbers and passwords to secure websites used by the consumer.

Vermont jobs and total labor force are up, while the number of jobless is down. The Vermont Department of Labor has announced that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for February 2012 was 4.9 percent, a decrease of two-tenths of a percent from the revised January rate. At 4.9 percent, Vermont’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is below 5.0 percent for the first time since October 2008. The comparable national rate for February 2012 is 8.3 percent; which held steady from the previous month.The seasonally adjustedVermontdata show the totalVermontlabor force increased by 100. Total employment increased by 600 while total unemployment decreased by 400.

Continuing in its mission of manufacturing while protecting the global environment, it was announced on March 15 thatChroma Technology Corp.of Bellows Falls, Vermont has been certified a Green Partner by Sony Corporation.

"Sony is looking at the environmental impact of the product we're sending out the door," said Chroma's Health, Safety and Environmental Manager Chip Siler. "They want to know what chemicals, if any, are contained in these products and whether or not they are hazardous. They want to know how these chemicals are controlled through their lifetime - from the production of the part all the way through its disposal at the end of its life. European laws are much more strict about this than the U.S., and we market to Europe. But we're doing this - and Sony's doing this - because we'd like to make the world a better place."

As college completion rates continue to climb in other parts of the world, a new report released today by Lumina Foundation shows that the US must do significantly more to build on the modest gains in higher education attainment seen here at home. Experts gathered at the Rayburn House Office Building to announce the latest findings, highlight what is working and discuss how a stronger sense of urgency is needed to better position America for success in the knowledge economy.

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), a leading providers of information and communications products and services, today announced Comcast Business VoiceEdge, a cloud-based voice and unified communications solution.

Business loans and bond financings in excess of $10.4 million have been approved by the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA). It is estimated that the VEDA financing will help stimulate $15.5 million in economic development activity throughout the state.
‘VEDA is very pleased to offer financing support to a number of small business projects around Vermont,’ said Jo Bradley, VEDA Chief Executive Officer. ‘In addition, bond financing has been approved for several large facility expansion projects.’
Among the projects approved by the Authority for financing assistance:

The US Small Business Administration is inviting states and US territories to apply for $30 million in grants that can be used in a variety of ways to help increase exporting by small businesses. SBA began accepting applications on March 27.
‘Federal investment in small business exporting is already beginning to pay dividends in foreign sales and economic development, which translates into a stronger economy and job creation,’ said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. ‘Through the STEP program, new-to-export and new-to-market firms are selling American products and services in markets all over the world. The future looks even more exciting - with key marketing initiatives ranging from South Korea, to India and the European Union. This year’s grants will further help states assist small businesses enter and succeed in the global market.’