Current News

Jonathan Dowds, Renewable Energy Vermont, Deputy Director In her recent piece, “The role of merchant power in Vermont’s energy picture,” Annette Smith mischaracterizes the net-metering program that for decades has helped make installing solar power more affordable by allowing Vermonters to send any excess solar electricity they generate back to the grid in exchange for a credit on their electric bill. Net-metering has made Vermont a solar energy leader – one of the top 5 states in the share of electricity coming from solar. Vermont solar installers range in size from family operations with one or two people to companies that employ dozens but they share a common goal: to make solar power a convenient, reliable and affordable option for all Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine FreshTracks Capital announces the return of Peak Pitch, a start-up business pitch event on the slopes, scheduled for Tuesday March 22. Now in its sixteenth year, Peak Pitch brings aspiring entrepreneurs and investors together for a unique version of the classic "elevator pitch." At Peak Pitch, a shared chairlift ride gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business plans to venture capitalists, individual investors, commercial lenders and other entrepreneurial advisors during a day of skiing and snowboarding at Sugarbush.

Vermont Business Magazine A broad coalition of supporters is urging Burlington voters to stand up for equity, safety, and dignity by voting affirmatively on question #5 on Town Meeting Day 2022. Question #5 asks whether to strike discriminatory and archaic language from the Burlington city charter. The current Burlington charter mandate to “restrain and suppress houses of ill fame and disorderly houses, and to punish common prostitutes and persons consorting therewith” is not only immensely archaic and dehumanizing, it does nothing to support the health and wellbeing of the citizens of Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont smashed collection goals and benchmarks in 2021 to collect over 216,000 pounds of batteries for recycling, the largest weight in the state program's history and a 46% increase over 2020. The data — both in VT and nationally — show how consumers are ready and willing to do the right thing with their old tech and batteries if they are presented with easy options, and it couldn't be a more important time as governments and businesses alike reinvest in making recycling easier in order to manage the forthcoming wave of dead EV batteries.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community Sailing Center in Burlington has received the US Sailing Jim Kilroy Outstanding Inclusion and Outreach Award. CSC was nominated for our Sailing Diversity Access Initiative that they launched in 2021 in efforts to overcome cultural and racial barriers to the sport of sailing. The initiative provides children ages 11-15 who identify as BIPOC a fully funded summer camp experience of up to 4 weeks, with the opportunity to participate in the program for up to 4 years. This programming is designed as a long-term commitment to BIPOC families in an effort to inspire new generations to join the world of sailing.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 265 cases of COVID-19 for Tuesday. This is nearly 200 more than Monday's total and higher than the 7-day average of 220. There were six additional COVID-related deaths for 593 statewide since last week. Of the four people who died, one was in the 50-59 age range, two were 60-69, one was 70-79 and two were over 80.

Vermont Business Magazine The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $1.6 million to the State of Vermont to reimburse the costs of providing emergency meals for residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $1,626,337 Public Assistance grant will go to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development for providing meal preparation and delivery service to high-risk populations under the the state’s emergency feeding program “Vermont Everyone Eats” between November 2021 and January 2022.

​by Greg Marchildon, AARP Vermont State Director Finally, there may be some relief for Vermonters who collect Social Security or military pension benefits. Governor Phil Scott has proposed a critical tax change that would impact the household budgets of thousands of older Vermonters and veterans. This proposal aims to eliminate the taxation of Social Security benefits for many Vermonters. Vermont is one of only 12 states in the nation that taxes Social Security benefits. Most don’t tax them at all. In addition, Governor Scott proposes to waive the taxation of veteran pension benefits – long overdue!

Vermont Business Magazine Approximately 100 Vermont Army National Guard Soldiers will support security operations in Washington DC beginning later this week. Vermont Soldiers from Headquarters Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) will lead Vermont's contribution to the Physical Security Task Force.

Vermont Business Magazine Leandre Waldo brings a wealth of relevant experience in communications and higher education as she starts work this week at Saint Michael’s College as chief of staff for President Lorraine Sterritt, as of February 21. President Sterritt said that in Waldo’s years working at Champlain College, Vermont Technical College and Boston College, “she has taken on multifunctional roles including strategic project leadership, communications, issue resolution, crisis management, media relations, enrollment, and marketing.”

by Thomas Peterson, MD The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group is a community of more than 1,150 providers who – along with our hard-working and dedicated care teams – serve patients in Vermont and Northern New York with primary, specialty, acute, hospital and critical care. We are united in our passion for what we do – the commitment and the deep and caring connection we feel with our patients and our communities. Ensuring everyone gets the care they need at the right time is why we’re here. It’s heartbreaking to know that for some of our patients, this hasn’t been happening. We want all of the communities we serve to know that we are working hard to address it.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) and Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU), the two largest credit unions in the state, announced in a letter to their members today that they plan to merge. NEFCU, based in Williston, is the state's largest credit union with $1.9 billion in assets and VSECU, based in Montpelier, boasts $1.07 billion in assets. By early 2023 the credit unions will merge under the legal entity of New England Federal Credit Union. Dwyer will remain CEO and current VSECU CEO Rob Miller will become president of the merged entity. They said in the statement that employment levels will not be affected, which combined stand at about 440 now.