Current News

Company sponsors fundraiser for community children this weekend

Since expanding service into the town of Hinesburg eight years ago, 375 customers – nearly 78% of potential customers – are enjoying the benefits of clean, reliable and affordable natural gas.

In the past year alone, Vermont Gas customers in Hinesburg have saved $677,000 by switching from more expensive fuels, such as heating oil and propane, to natural gas. That equates to about $1300 to an average household that formerly used heating oil, and $2700 to households that relied on propane over the past year.

“Our expansion into Hinesburg is a great example of how access to natural gas helps more Vermont families save real money,” said Tom Murray, Director of Sales and Marketing at Vermont Gas. “These savings can be spent at local businesses, the Hinesburg Farmers Market, or the grocery store, boosting Hinesburg’s economy while increasing a family’s spending power.”

Mayor Miro Weinberger announced on May 14, 2015 the appointment of Beth Anderson as the City’s first-ever Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) to lead the newly-created Innovation & Technology Department. As CIO, Anderson will be responsible for managing the City’s information technology (IT) operations, as well as coordinating data-driven innovation and using performance metrics to facilitate the City’s continuous improvement efforts. The Mayor has asked the City Council to approve the appointment at its May 18, 2015 meeting.

“The City of Burlington will be very fortunate to have a leader of Beth Anderson’s caliber serving as the City’s first Chief Innovation Officer,” said Mayor Weinberger. “Beth’s service will improve the City’s IT capacities, save taxpayer dollars, and deliver better, data-driven public outcomes.”

Ski Vermont resorts don’t hibernate over the summer. Expect even more active summer options in 2015 as new ziplines, lodges and mountain bike options open for the first time. Whether seeking adventurous thrills, a family get-away, or a gorgeous game of golf, Vermont ski and snowboard resorts have something for everyone in spring, summer, and fall.

Downhill Thrills Continue in Vermont Post Ski Season

Celebrating St Johnsbury’s commitment to innovation, SunCommon announced its arrival in the Northeast Kingdom on Tuesday by bringing clean, affordable and accessible solar energy options to local residents. Business leaders, local officials, SunCommon staff, and friends gathered at the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium, which enjoys a 24 percent share of a SunCommon Community Solar Array. SunCommon's Jericho Community Solar Array is a 150 KW array serving the Fairbanks Museum and over two dozen Vermont households. Users subscribe to a community array to which they are not directly connected and their net benefit is reflected on their electric bills.

“By joining a Community Solar Array, we are able to work towards energy independence while supporting our mission to educate the community about renewable energy,” said Adam Kane of Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium.

The Vermont Public Service Board, which is the state's utility regulator, opened and then suspended two requests from Vermont Gas Systems to allow it to take private land in order to complete its Addison County gas pipeline extension. The orders are dated April 29 and are copied below. The PSB states that it will not rule on the eminent domain requests until it has ruled on the larger question of whether to reopen the VGS case. VGS serves Franklin and Chittenden Counties and has already started construction on the Addison pipeline. Because of two increases in cost estimates in 2014, VGS' Certificate of Public Good was appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court, which sent the case back to the PSB for further review in February. If the PSB reopens the case, "the possible outcomes include that the Board could affirm, modify, or revoke the CPG that was issued." The PSB is expected to rule before the end of summer.

PSB Rulings:

Two companies with Vermont offices have merged. ENPRO, with an office in Burlington and TMC, with an office in South Burlington, have merged to form the premier environmental services firm in the Northeast. TMC Environmental dba TMC Services, Inc of Franklin, MA (TMC) and ENPRO Services, Inc. of Salisbury, MA and its related entities, ENPRO Services of Vermont, Inc., ENPRO Services of Maine, Inc. and Terralink Software Services, Inc. (ENPRO) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which a newly formed parent company, ENPRO Holdings Group, Inc. (EHGI) has acquired all outstanding shares of the named companies in a stock transaction valued at approximately $20.0 million. This combination reflects both companies’ commitment to drive sustainable growth, creating one of the region’s leading environmental & industrial service providers. EHGI will maintain its operating locations throughout the northeastern United States and Florida.

On Tuesday, May 12, 2015, the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation rescinded the statewide order directing the Town Forest Fire Wardens to cease issuing open burning permits for all Vermont counties except Bennington and Windham. This order was issued at 3:00 pm on May 5, 2015. Widespread soaking rain over the last 2 days and progress in leaf-out and greening of the State’s vegetation has reduced the fire danger concerns to levels low enough to warrant the removal of this order for much of the state.

In Bennington and Windham counties, the order to cease issuing open burning permits remains in effect. Critically dry fuel and weather conditions continue due to a lack of rain for the past 2 weeks. Other than scattered showers this afternoon and evening across southern Vermont, a return to a dry weather pattern is expected for the rest of the week. The order is set to expire in these counties on Tuesday, May 19, 2015.

According to the Chittenden Solid Waste District, here's what happened when someone tossed a small container of household hazardous waste into their recycling bin. One container of household hazardous waste shut down CSWD's recycling facility for a day in late April and sent several people to the hospital. UPDATE: The substance was bear repellant, according to Vermont Emergency Management.

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) issued the following comment Wednesday after the House overwhelmingly approved the bipartisan, bicameral USA FREEDOM Act to end the NSA’s dragnet surveillance of Americans’ phone records. Leahy is the lead Democratic coauthor of the legislation in the Senate, which he recently introduced with Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah). The White House endorsed the bill on Tuesday in a Statement of Administration Policy.

Standing side-by-side with nonprofits and charities – a sector that employs tens of thousands of Vermonters and accounts for billions of dollars in economic activity every year – Governor Peter Shumlin this morning reiterated his opposition to plans being considered in the Legislature to limit charitable giving.

“Limiting the ability of Vermonters to give to charities is not just a bad idea, it would be terrible economic policy,” Gov. Shumlin said. “Charities and non-profits in this state not only provide services to our neighbors in need, they employ our neighbors, drive economic activity, and contribute greatly to our state’s economic success.”

The Vermont Judiciary and Vermont Information Consortium (VIC) have announced the re-launch of their comprehensive online attorney licensing service, now in its ninth year. The online service, available at https://secure.vermont.gov/courts/licensing/, is now available to process 100 percent of the state’s annual attorney license renewals.

Road Pitch, a four day motorcycle tour of Vermont in which a gang of “business bikers” (comprised of investors, entrepreneurs and business advisors) ride around the state and stop in various towns to listen to entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts, has announced its 2015 schedule. Road Pitch was founded in 2014 by Cairn Cross co-founder of FreshTracks Capital. “I gathered together close to 30 other founding riders during 2014” said Cross, “and we proved the Road Pitch concept by riding 500 miles through Vermont stopping in various towns and listening to more than 30 pitches.” The idea behind Road Pitch is to bring advice and possibly investment to businesses around the state and to help connect entrepreneurs to various resources that are available to them and to promote Vermont as a perfect motorcycle touring destination.

For 2015 Road Pitch will stop in 8 towns during the first week in August. The schedule is: