Current News
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) issued a peak alert for Tuesday, June 23 as part of its Defeat the Peak program launched during summer 2017, encouraging members of the Burlington community to reduce their energy usage from 5:00-9:00pm on that day.
by tim
Public Assets Institute The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out more than 63,000 Vermont jobs in April, but employers began to increase their payrolls again last month. Jobs rose by 15,700 in May, by far the biggest monthly increase in at least 30 years. But even if this growth continues, it will be mid-September before the lost jobs are recovered. The service sector gained 7,700 jobs, a fraction of the nearly 50,000 lost in April. Meanwhile, Vermont’s unemployment rate dropped to 12.7 percent last month from 16.5 percent in April.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Bhaskar Patel, 69, of Horseheads, New York, was sentenced Friday in federal district court in connection with a kickback and bribery scheme conducted in connection with federal energy savings performance contracts (“ESPCs”). This includes a $42.4 million case in Vermont. While employed by Schneider Electric Buildings America, Patel unlawfully solicited and accepted $2,536,119.19 in bribes and kickbacks associated with ESPCs from subcontractors to Schneider.
by tim
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont recorded a historic maple syrup crop this year, resulting in over 2.2 million gallons. This represents over half the official US crop and by far the most of any state. The other two big maple producers, New York and Maine, saw a slight decrease from last year, but like Vermont has seen production growing in recent years. The total US crop total also increased. The total value of the maple crop in Vermont in 2019 (the 2020 value has not yet been established) is $57.96 million and the US value is $129.5 million. The lower relative price in Vermont versus production is because Vermont sells most of its production in bulk, which goes for a lower price.
by tim
by Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts Summer is synonymous with creemees, and well-timed ones at that: June is not only the beginning of summer, it is also National Dairy Month. This annual tribute recognizes an industry that has supported Vermonters for 150 years. A month to celebrate the food that dairy provides, and the hardworking families who have produced that food while stewarding the land and landscape that sets Vermont apart from so many other places.
by tim
by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine Natural and man-made disasters happen all the time. But a pandemic? Bernie Carr says given what the town of Brandon has been through in the last several years the one disaster no one could have foreseen was a global pandemic that has wreaked havoc with the global economy.
by tim
by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine The state’s largest ski resort is used to dealing with the vagaries of the weather but a pandemic presented a whole different set of challenges.
by tim
by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center was prepared for the worst - a surge in patients infected with the Covid-19 virus. It was a surge that for now hasn’t materialized but the hospital was ready just the same, closing one of its specialty procedure suites and converting it into a 10-bed, negative pressure COVID ward.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported that there were 12 new cases of COVID-19 since Saturday and a total of 15 new cases since Friday, for a total case count of 1,159. There are no new deaths, which are holding at 56 total statewide. There is no one hospitalized with COVID-19.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine The Northfield Savings Bank Foundation (NSBF) invested $300,000 over the past two years between two impactful projects: one to help Vermont PreK-12 educators meet financial literacy standards through the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College (Center); and a second to help build resiliency and social-emotional learning skills in local youth through Vermont Afterschool. As these partnerships conclude with the end of their funding terms, NSBF celebrates the accomplishments of each organization.
by tim
Vermont State Police On 6/20/2020, at approximately 1321 hours, Vermont State Troopers responded to a fatal two vehicle crash on US Route 2 in Kirby, VT near the St. Johnsbury/Kirby Town line. Investigation revealed that the operator, Larry Bowman (64), was travelling east on US Route 2 when he lost control of his motorcycle on a curve in the roadway and entered the westbound lane.
by tim
Credits designed to reduce carbon emissions, boosts water heater credit
Vermont Business Magazine If you've been thinking about investing in cleaner, more efficient space or water heating for your home or business and you are a Vermont Electric Co-op (VEC) member, now might be a good time to consider cold climate heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. VEC is doubling the bill credit incentive offered for the purchase of cold climate heat pumps from $300 to $600 per outdoor unit. VEC is also boosting the incentive for heat pump water heaters from $150 to $250. The higher incentives are available for purchases made on or after June 1, 2020.
“As the co-op works to help Vermont reach the state’s energy goals, we continually refine our incentives to make it easier financially for members who want to move their energy use from fossil fuels to cleaner electricity,” said Jake Brown, energy services planner at VEC.