Current News

​Vermont Business Magazine Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve state committees selected 149 nominees for the 2018 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. A thorough vetting process, from the more than 2,350 nominations submitted by Guardsmen and Reservists, determined the semifinalists. Three Vermont organizations were named: Rescue Inc; University of Vermont; and UVM Medical Center.

These semifinalists are from both large and small employers, as well as government organizations, representing numerous industries across the United States. ESGR received nominations for employers in all 50 states, Guam-CNMI, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.

Check out the complete list of semifinalists below.

An ESGR national review board will select and announce the 30 finalists by March 30.

History of the Freedom Award:

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced he’s appointed 47 Vermonters to State boards and commissions in the month of February. Boards and commissions serve an important role in state government, giving Vermonters numerous opportunities to serve their state and communities. The Governor’s office is currently soliciting applications to fill vacancies and upcoming term expirations. All those interested in serving on a board or commission should visit the Governor’s website at http://governor.vermont.gov/boards-commissions to apply.

Appointments made by the Governor from February 1 – 28 are listed below:

Endangered Species Committee

• Elizabeth Thompson of Jericho
• Paul Wieczoreck of Hinesburg

Transportation Board

Vermont Business Magazine A longtime Waterbury business, ST Paving, recently flipped the switch on 156 rooftop solar panels. The asphalt paving company worked with SunCommon to fill the company’s roof with solar. The system will produce more than the business needs, and so owner John Reynolds is sharing the excess with his own home and that of four of the company’s long-time employees.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Lisa Ventriss, President of Vermont Business Roundtable (VBR) and Jeffrey Carr, President, Economic & Policy Resources (EPR), announced the Q4 2017 outlook results of their joint initiative, the VBR/EPR Business Conditions Survey and Index. Carr said the results appear to show “neutral to mild optimism” in the Vermont economy.

Overall Finding

The latest survey, which was conducted during January of 2018, achieved a response rate of 69 percent overall and included a 50 percent or greater response rate from 13 of 14 represented sectors within the membership. Survey results show that:

• A supermajority of respondents (69%) shared negative outlooks specifically with ease of hiring for available positions, a decline from the previous survey (63%);

Vermont Business Magazine Finalized results filed Wednesday confirm that New England’s annual capacity auction concluded with sufficient resources to meet electricity demand in 2021–2022, and at the lowest price in five years. ISO New England Inc filed the finalized results with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The auction assures capacity for the system regular while guaranteeing a rate of return for participating generators. Two Boston-area generators who had previously signed up but wanted to terminate their participation were retained to ensure reliability.

Vermont Business Magazine The Enel Group’s new advanced energy services division Enel X, through its US demand response services company EnerNOC, Inc, has been awarded market commitments to deliver 157 MW of demand response resources in the Forward Capacity Market by the Independent System Operator for New England (ISO-NE). With this award, Enel also enters the demand response market of US states Connecticut and Vermont.

As a result, Enel’s virtual power plant in New England will increase by 50% year-over-year, reaching 157 MW for the 2021/2022 delivery period, from the previously secured 101 MW for the 2020/2021 period.

by Bill Schubart Soon, it’ll be March and Town Meeting will again be upon us (Tuesday March 6). Our venerable system of local government – where it’s still practiced – calls townsfolk together to debate and make decisions of local and global import with a mix of comity and comedy. The characters and issues vary from town to town, but there are some regulars one can count on seeing and hearing from.

I’m especially fond of the harumphers, those with the ageing teenage-pout who glower at the moderator with their arms firmly crossed on an ample bosom or chest. When recognized, their pronouncements are usually terse and glacially clear, after which they settle back into their harrumph posture with a “go ahead and top that!” look in their eye.

Vermont Business Magazine Hunters, landowners and anyone else interested in deer and moose should plan on attending one of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife public hearings being held in March and May. The hearings will include results of Vermont's 2017 deer and moose seasons and prospects for hunting next fall as well as an opportunity for people to provide their observations and opinions regarding deer and moose.

The hearings will also include a review of the proposed 2018 moose hunting season and an opportunity for the public to comment.

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, February 20, 2018 the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (the Agency or VAAFM) filed a proposed amendment to the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) Rule with the Vermont Secretary of State (SOS). This amendment was filed pursuant to 6 V.S.A. §4810a(b), which required the Agency to amend the RAPs to include requirements for reducing nutrient contribution to waters of the State from subsurface tile drainage. The RAPs were most recently amended and became effective on December 5, 2016, introducing additional regulations for all types of agriculture to improve water quality throughout the State.

Modern tile drain system. State of Vermont photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, standing with environmental and community leaders, announced Tuesday a three-year environmental plan that prioritizes making Burlington a net-zero city, creating a stormwater authority and expanding efforts to combat climate change. The mayor presented the plan under the banner of his re-election campaign.

Mayor Weinberger presents his environmental plan Tuesday on the Waterfront. Courtesy photo.

The goals include:

Vermont Business Magazine Delivering on its new cadence of continuous innovation, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc has further expanded its line of Keurig brewers with the new Keurig K-Elite coffee maker. The K-Elite coffee maker blends premium finishes with programmable features to deliver the most beverage customization in any Keurig single cup coffee maker model in a bold, modern look, while offering a "strong" coffee setting.