Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Hydro-Québec's power exports avoided the emission of 7.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2015, the equivalent of 25 percent of the total emissions of New England thermal generating stations in 2014. These figures are from Hydro-Québec's newly released Sustainability Report 2015. With 99.8 percent of its output generated from water, Hydro-Québec's net GHG emissions are "very positive" for North America. Vermont signed a roughly 20-year, 20-megawatt power purchase agreement with Hydro-Québec in 2011. Hydro-Québec has used export contracts, with their higher rates, to help pay for the development and expansion of the Hydro-Québec system. Over 50 percent of its exports are sent to New England, or nearly 15,000 gigawatt hours of electricity.

Vermont Business Magazine Kids VT, Vermont’s free monthly parenting magazine, took home the General Excellence award, as well as six other awards, in the Parenting Media Association’s 2016 Design and Editorial Awards Competition. The national competition recognizes excellence in journalism, photography and design in regional parenting publications that are PMA members. The PMA announced the honors at its convention in Indianapolis, IN.

Vermont Business Magazine Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been recognized with a 2016 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award for Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability. The cooperative was selected for its Real Farm Power program which is the latest in a series of sustainability projects pioneered by the 1,200 dairy-farm families of Agri-Mark dairy cooperative, owner of Cabot Creamery Cooperative. The program takes a closed-loop approach, recycling cow manure, food scraps and food processing by-products to produce renewable energy on a Massachusetts dairy farm.

Vermont Business Magazine AllEarth Renewables, a Vermont-based solar tracker manufacturer, has announced a new program for Vermont homeowners, small businesses, and non-profits to go solar and pay less than their utility power costs. The new program will allow Vermonters to go solar for just $1,000, which can be applied to purchasing the solar system after 5 years. Customers will pay a monthly power purchase agreement for their system which will be set at less than the current benefit they will receive for their solar, yielding immediate electric bill savings.

Vermont Business Magazine The public may now sign up for Green Mountain Power’s free public tours of the 21-turbine Kingdom Community Wind project in Lowell offered during June, July and August. This is an opportunity for Vermonters and out-of-state visitors alike to experience a working wind farm, and learn how GMP is harnessing the power of wind. Tours of the GMP wind project in Lowell have become a popular Vermont activity during the summer. More than 1,200 people have visited the site every summer since tours began in 2013, coming from all over the state, as well from across the country and overseas. Visitors to the plant frequently enjoy local restaurants and shops, making for an enjoyable outing and helping the local economy.

Vermont Business Magazine The Stowe Brewers Festival is back for the second year – bigger, better, brewier – adding a third session and featuring more than 40 craft brewers from Vermont and across New York and New England, live music, more than a dozen food trucks, Vermont spirits and more. Held at Stowe’s Mayo Events Field, the 21-and-over event offers three sessions: Friday and Saturday, 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now: standard tickets are $45 and a limited number of VIP tickets are available for $75 each. Standard ticket purchasers receive tickets for 15 three-ounce samples per session. VIP ticket purchasers also receive expedited festival entry, exclusive VIP lounge tent access, 2016 festival swag and a coveted “Hop the Line” pass. New to the festival this year, all attendees will receive five bonus “Spirit Tasting” tickets to use at a selection of Vermont distillers.

Vermont Business Magazine The state’s largest health plan submitted its rate filing for Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) on Wednesday. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) said premium increases were primarily driven by two factors: Vermonters in QHPs sought more health care than previously anticipated and the costs of pharmacy and medical care continue to rise. The combination would have precipitated a 10 percent increase, but BCBSVT said favorable assumptions on its part brought the company’s request to the Green Mountain Care Board down to 8.2 percent for 2017 Exchange plans. MVP is requesting an 8.8 percent average annual rate increase.

Vermont Business Magazine Boutique airline Tradewind Aviation has announced increased service and new routes throughout New England this summer. The Oxford, Connecticut-based airline has launched a new direct route to Stowe and increased access and availability for their Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard routes, which were previously only available to their ticket book holders. Tradewind also flies in Vermont to Deerfield Valley Airport at Haystack Mountain.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center plans to begin construction of an inpatient bed building in this month. Although approval of the $174.9 million project was obtained in July 2015, the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) set conditions requiring additional financial reporting, philanthropic requirements and changes to debt financing prior to the start of construction. This month, the Board determined those conditions had been satisfied. The building is expected to open in the summer of 2019.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont’s chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and Keurig Green Mountain, Inc announced an innovative partnership to advance Vermont’s Clean Water Initiative and to address the pervasive water quality challenges in Lake Champlain. This public-private collaboration aims to advance water quality in Vermont, starting by developing a tool to identify opportunities to protect water quality through conservation, as well as by making some key strategic conservation investments.   

Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry's will continue to be one of the major forces in the US ice cream market for the foreseeable future, but pressure is building in the market from private label (store brand, etc) sellers for both market share and price, which will lead to an overall slowly growing market with thinner margins. The report author, Technavio, announced last week the top six leading vendors in its ice cream market in the US report. This research report also lists 12 other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. According to the report, the ice cream market in the US is subject to rapidly changing consumer demands and preferences.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University’s graduating future officers will hear remarks from a fellow alum at this spring’s joint services commissioning ceremony. Major General John W Baker ’85 returns to the Norwich campus to speak to ROTC commissioning officers during a formal ceremony to mark the occasion on Sunday, May 15, at 9 am. In his address, the Army officer will touch on themes of leadership, integrity, allegiance, kindness, trust, service history, service values, and family.

Major General John W Baker