Current News

by Representatives Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Lori Houghton and Stephanie Jerome We are women business owners who serve in the legislature and we believe more Vermonters should have access to paid family leave in their time of need. Paid family leave should not be limited to people who work for large employers or have high income jobs. As business owners, we know the value of our workers and we believe that paid family leave is good for employees and good for business. That’s why the House and Senate passed a plan to create a statewide paid family and medical leave program to cover more Vermonters. Simply put, we can’t afford to delay.

Vermont Business Magazine Hull Street Energy has signed an agreement to acquire thirty-one hydroelectric facilities with 255 MW of capacity from EGPNA Renewable Energy Partners (EGPNA REP), a joint venture between Enel Green Power North America and GE Energy Financial Services. The transaction will close in two phases. The first phase, which closed this week, includes 30 hydro projects totaling 175 MW. The second phase, which includes the remaining 80 MW of capacity, is expected to close during the first quarter of 2020, pending regulatory approval. The plants supply reliable, low-carbon energy to regional electricity customers in Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, South Carolina, Idaho, California, North Carolina, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims continue to relax following the typically raucous holiday season. Initial claims for the week of January 25, 2020, were 518, which is more inline with typical weekly numbers throughout the year. Claims fell 237 from last week and were 10 fewer than they were at this time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine The contractor continued driving pipe piles for the western marine drilling platform this week at the US Route 2, drawbridge connecting North Hero and Grand Isle. They have driven 9 out of 12 pipe piles so far, and will continue this work through next week. Driving pipe piles are shown in the foreground of the VTrans photo above. The contractor will also be installing sheetpiles for a cofferdam on the eastern side of the new bridge. This work will continue through next week.

Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry's recognizes the next generation in its 2020 lineup, offering even more non-dairy flavors and a new base mix with a sunny disposition: sunflower butter! Ben & Jerry's new sunflower butter based Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts use flower power to deliver on the full Ben & Jerry's experience with loads of chunks and swirls, while providing a delicious alternative to the existing almond based lineup.

Vermont Business Magazine Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and a POWDR mountain resort, today announced the opportunity for its guests to enter into a user generated content contest to qualify for the 2020 Woodward Peace Park Championships, which will be hosted at Mt Bachelor, also a POWDR mountain resort, in Bend, OR, from April 20-26, 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine The deadline to apply for one of the 150 scholarships managed by Vermont Student Assistance Corp closes soon – February12. Don’t miss out on over $5 million in awards to help Vermonters pay for their education and training after high school. Last year, VSAC made almost 3,200 awards to Vermonters worth $5.4 million. Scholarships—like grants—are financial aid that you do not need to pay back.

Vermont Business Magazine On January 25^th, One Credit Union presented Jamie Hathaway, CEO of Make-A-Wish Vermont with a check for $18,000 at the One CU annual team meeting. This money was raised as part of a yearlong effort in 2019 with the help of One Credit Union members and staff in our local communities. Throughout the year, One Credit Union worked to raise money at community events through bake sales and giveaways, and many One CU employees contributed by way of payroll deduction to Make-A-Wish as well. One Credit Union matched every donation given, dollar for dollar, bringing the total to $18,000. The Vermont chapter will receive $16,000 and the New Hampshire chapter will receive $2,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger today released an executive order to create Burlington’s first open data policy, and at the same time, released major upgrades to both the City’s open data platform and the “BTVStat” performance dashboard that tracks City operations. The open data platform and BTVStat performance dashboard further improve the public’s ability to access City data in open, machine-readable formats and to understand and evaluate the City’s performance across a variety of different metrics.

The executive order, developed in cooperation with the Sunlight Foundation, outlines the principles, standards, and governance framework that will guide Burlington’s open data program.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) is now accepting applications to participate in Vermont’s Insurance Regulatory Sandbox. Under the program, insurers can request waivers of certain statutory or regulatory requirements for a limited period while an innovative insurance product or service is piloted in the Vermont marketplace. Companies seeking waivers must show that their innovative product or service could not otherwise be offered in Vermont and that a waiver is in the public interest.

“Establishing the Sandbox sends the clear message that Vermont is open to innovation and is willing to explore new ideas and new approaches to age-old products and processes,” said Commissioner Michael Pieciak. “This approach is balanced with enhanced regulatory oversight to help ensure Vermonters are protected and well served.”

Vermont Business Magazine Seeking to honor a leading Vermont environmentalist and the legacy of a legendary wildlife advocate, Green Mountain Power (GMP) is calling for nominations for the 11th annual GMP-Zetterstrom Environmental Award. Named for famed osprey advocate Meeri Zetterstrom of Milton, the award is given to one person, business, group or non-profit that has made a significant contribution to Vermont’s environment. The award is accompanied by a $2,500 donation to the winner’s environmental cause.

Vermont Business Magazine Some of our favorite Vermont products require refrigeration: craft beer, apple cider, cheese and other dairy products, and more. That refrigeration can be a significant portion of a Vermont business’s electric use, whether it’s your neighborhood convenience store, a major grocery chain, or a restaurant.