Current News

by John McClaughry Here’s an interesting insight into the arcane world of global renewable energy politics, based on the October 30 column inForbesby widely-read energy blogger Rod Adams.Last week the annual “Conference of Parties” (COP23), the consultative body for the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change, convened in Bonn, Germany. For the past eight years a business-oriented Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF) has been held alongside the COP, cosponsored by the U.S.-led advocacy group Climate Action and the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

This year the Forum accepted the World Nuclear Association as a Gold Sponsor. But then UNEP demanded that the Forum reject any participation by the nuclear trade association. Its spokesman said “we prioritise the renewables revolution, such as wind and solar energy…Our work on the nuclear sector is limited.”

It’s limited all right – to zero.

Vermont Business Magazine Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) on Monday itemized what he called several key victories in the face of White House headwinds for programs that support Lake Champlain, conservation initiatives, and historic downtowns across Vermont. The programs were funded through the Appropriations Committee bill on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, for Fiscal Year 2018, which was released on Monday afternoon. The bill will now be negotiated to reconcile differences between the Senate and House bills prior to being considered by the full Senate.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $4,395,000 in Lake Champlain restoration funding to help address outbreaks of harmful algal blooms and the spread of invasive species in Lake Champlain. The vast majority of funding will go to the Lake Champlain Basin Program, which includes Vermont, New York and Quebec. Vermont itself will also get $525,978; New York will get $365,000. With a record-setting heat wave hitting the region in September, cyanobacteria blooms arose along many shoreline locations and public beaches in Lake Champlain and surrounding waterbodies. Cyanobacteria are a concern because they sometimes release toxins that can make people and pets sick.

Vermont Business MagazineToday the Senate Appropriations Committee made public the Chairman’s Mark of the fiscal year 2018 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Bill. The bill provides a total of $21.035 billion, including $159 million in disaster funds. This funding level is $480 million less than the fiscal year 2017 enacted level and nearly $2 billion less than the fiscal year 2018 President’s request. Also Monday, the Committee made public the Chairman’s Mark for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations Bill. The Senate bill recommends $32.536 billion in discretionary funding for agencies funded by the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill, which includes $32.030 billion in discretionary funds and $507 million in emergency funds to pay for wildland firefighting needs.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) on Monday announced that five rural Vermont law enforcement agencies will receive a total of nearly $600,000 to help hire new officers through the Department of Justice COPS Hiring Program. The program covers a large portion of the costs that communities face when adding officers to their ranks, thereby supporting the goals of community policing.

“These funds are critical to small law enforcement agencies that would otherwise find it too costly to bring a new officer on board,” said Leahy, a longtime champion of the program who continues to support its funding through his role as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “With the increase in opioid abuse and its inherent problems, our law enforcement agencies and officers are stretched to their limits. This is the type of federal spending that just makes common sense.”

Vermont Business MagazineTheVermont Manufacturing Extension Center has released a months-in-the-making video project, which includes success stories, workforce development assistance, and innovation opportunities, among several other resources to help Vermont manufacturers grow and thrive.

Vermont Business MagazineGovernor Phil Scott today announced appointments to his Cybersecurity Advisory Team, which he established viaExecutive Order 18-17in October.The Executive Order charges the Cybersecurity Advisory Team with developing a strategic plan for protecting the state’s information and systems, evaluating statewide cybersecurity readiness, developing best practices for policies and procedures, and building partnerships with local universities and colleges to better leverage cybersecurity resources.

Vermont Business Magazine Summer's car shopping peak may be in the rearview mirror, but the autumn chill isn't leaving dealers out in the cold. That is the main finding from the November Dealer DataView index, by Burlington-based Dealer.com, which captures year-to-date data throughOctober 31, 2017. The index showed that after a relatively light post-summer dip, total traffic to dealership websites is once again on the rise, growing by 3 percent in October from September. Vehicle detail page (VDP) views, a strong indicator of sales intent, also rose by 2 percent last month.

Vermont Business MagazineThe Canadian owner of Vermont's Highland Sugarworks in Websterville continues to acquire competitors in the raucous maple syrup industry.LBMaple Treat Corporation of Granby, QC, has acquiredDecacer, a major bottler and distributor of branded and private label maple syrup and maple sugar based in Degelis, QC, for CD$40 million, subject to post-closing adjustments, from the Levasseur Family. LBMT's parent corporation,Rogers Sugar Inc (TSX:RSI)drew on its existing $275 million revolving credit facility to finance the Transaction.

Vermont Business MagazineTheEnergy Action Networktoday shared with theVermont Climate Action Commissionand Vermont legislative leaders nearly 50 energy and climate policy ideas. Over the past two months, EAN invited its members to submit “policy pitches” following Governor Scott’s creation of the Vermont Climate Action Commission, which is tasked with proposing at least three substantive actions on climate by the end of the year. Network members across Vermont responded with 48 pitches received from over 40 different businesses, organizations, and individuals.

Vermont Business MagazineThe Board of Directors of the Vermont Energy Co-op, a member-owned fuel services and energy efficiency cooperative located in Colchester, Vermont has named Brian Gray as the Co-op's new General Manager.

Gray comes to the Energy Co-op with 30 years experience serving the local utility community, most recently as Energy Services Manager with Vermont Gas Systems where he was responsible for customer growth, marketing and energy efficiency programs.

"The General Manager of the Co-op wears many hats,"says Richard Faesy, Board Chairman."Brian's depth of experience in fuel supply negotiation, building strategic partnerships, key account maintenance, employee enrichment, lean process evaluations, and value stream mapping is a great fit for the job."

Vermont Business Magazine The Public Safety Broadband Network Commission will recommend to Governor Phil Scott that Vermont opt-in to the federal FirstNet plan to deliver a wireless broadband network to the state’s public safety community. Today’s recommendation culminates a more than year-long evaluation effort by the Governor-appointed commission to evaluate the best option for the build-out of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network in Vermont.