Current News

Democratic Senators Patrick Leahy (Vermont), Ron Wyden (OR), Chuck Schumer (NY), Maria Cantwell (WA), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Tom Udall (NM), Al Franken (MN), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Elizabeth Warren (MA), Ed Markey (MA), and Cory Booker (NJ) issued a joint comment Thursday following a vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on updated open Internet rules. The new rules, which apply to all domestic broadband providers, prevent broadband providers from blocking or throttling lawful online content and ban paid-prioritization agreements through which websites could be charged for priority access. The Democratic Senators who joined to release today’s comment have been outspoken in their support for a free and open Internet for all Americans.

The State of Vermont has appealed the decision last month by an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) panel denying its petition regarding the preservation of the Emergency Response Data System (ERDS) at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. (The ASLB is a quasi-judicial arm of the NRC that handles hearing requests and petitions and conducts hearings.) The ASLB panel found that ERDS, which provides a direct electronic data link from plants to the NRC and allows the agency to monitor critical plant parameters during an emergency, is only required for plants with operating reactors under existing regulations. The ASLB panel split in its decision and the state uses that information in part of its argument. See the state's brief to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission below.

Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced a mediated settlement agreement among the City, Champlain College, and members of Preservation Burlington, a non-profit neighborhood preservation organization, regarding the Eagles Landing student housing project proposed by the college. The settlement resolves the final legal issues related to the denial of the project by the Development Review Board on April 3, 2014, and its subsequent appeal by Champlain College. The agreement follows unanimous City Council approval of the draft agreement on February 17, 2015 and clears the way for the 104-unit project to move forward.

The denial had been a surprise and a disappoint to the college and the city. The city for many years has encouraged the local colleges to build more dorms to reverse the erosion of housing stock and neighborhoods, as property owners had turned private homes into student apartments.

Vermont’s Congressional delegation received high marks today from the National League of Conservation Voters for their pro-environment voting records in LCV’s 2014 National Environmental Scorecard. The delegation’s voting record stands in sharp contrast to a national trend of anti-environmental voting, particularly in the House of Representatives, according to Lauren Hierl, the political director at the Vermont Conservation Voters.

Vermont gasoline prices have edged up over the last couple of weeks, but drivers could see a steeper increase soon, according to a national rating service. For this week, gas prices in Vermont are at an average of $2.387, which is a modest increase of 3.6 cents from a week ago and 4.3 cents from a month ago. Vermont economists have indicated that the lowered gas prices have put millions of dollars into consumers wallets, which has been perhaps the brightest spot in a slowly emerging economy. A price spike could hurt consumer activity. Still, prices today are more than a $1.20 less than a year ago. However, the transition from ‘winter blend’ to ‘summer blend’ gasoline always brings increases in retail gasoline prices, but nothing we've seen over the past year is likely to match what GasBuddy anticipates over the next two to three weeks.

Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc, (NASDAQ: DNKN), The JM Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) and Keurig Green Mountain, Inc (NASDAQ: GMCR) today expanded their partnership by signing agreements for the manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sale of Dunkin' K-Cup packs at retailers nationwide in the US and Canada, and online. Dunkin' K-Cup packs are presently available in Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the US Keurig is the exclusive producer of Dunkin' K-Cup packs and will remain so with the expansion of the partnership. The JM Smucker Company currently manufactures and distributes Dunkin' Donuts brand premium bagged coffee where groceries are sold under license from Dunkin' Donuts.

Campaign for Vermont (CFV) announces the launch of The Economic Indicators Report. The Report includes data obtained through public records requests as well as some publicly available data that has been analyzed. The February issue focuses on the state of Vermont's workforce. Subsequent reports will be published monthly and examine a specific theme within Vermont's economy.

​Published by CFV with numerous collaborators, the Economic Indicators Report serves Vermonter's need for a nonpartisan, evidence-based discussion of the state's economic climate.

Executive Director, Cyrus Patten said, "Campaign for Vermont continues to serve Vermont by taking a hard look at the data that should be driving policy decisions related to our economy. Vermonters have expressed a need for nonpartisan information from independent sources. This report seeks to meet that need."

Essex Capital Partners, a Massachusetts based developer of utility scale solar projects, and Sunpreme Inc, a US-based solar photovoltaic company that designs and manufactures its own cells and panels, are pleased to announce the completion of 90 day post commissioning of the 2.6 megawatt ground mount solar system developed by Essex Capital (through its subsidiary, Barton Solar), located in Barton, Vermont. The system is one of the largest commercial Solar PV installations inVermont and will generate 3,400,000 kWh of clean, emission free electricity annually – enough energy to serve over 1,500 homes, while providing a centerpiece to the holistic approach to environmental stewardship.

ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, has received a $7,300 grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program. The funding will support changing one of ECHO’s tanks in our lobby to show 6 animal and 4 plant invasive species. The project, “Aquatic Invasives tank and Interpretation,”will allow ECHO to update its current schooling tank to open in late summer this year.

This new feature will help ECHO continue in its mission of educating to create a healthier Lake Champlain by offering hands-on interactions with both native and invasive species in the science center and beyond.

“Invasive species are a significant problem in Lake Champlain. The past year saw the 51st non-native species arrive in Lake Champlain through human transport,” said ECHO Executive Director Phelan Fretz. “By presenting invasive species in Lake Champlain and how we all can help stop more from being introduced, we will help to maintain this critical ecological system.”

Advocates appeared before the Legislature Wednesday to oppose a $1.65 million budget cut targeting families on Reach Up who have household member with a disability. The Administration proposal would count $125 of an adult SSI beneficiary’s income against the rest of the household’s Reach Up grant. Children receiving SSI would be exempt from the proposal. The proposal would affect approximately 1,100 Reach Up households with adult SSI beneficiaries. The hearing was for advocates and the public for comments on Vermont’s budget before the House Appropriations Committee.

A new position has become available on Vermont Electric Cooperative’s (VEC) Board of Directors. The position represents the towns of Alburgh, Grand Isle, Isle La Motte, North Hero, and South Hero. Members who are interested in running for this position, which will open in May of 2015, should contact VEC at 802.730.1172 to request director candidate materials.

VEC's twelve-member board is responsible for setting policy for the member-owned electric distribution utility, which serves approximately 32,000 members in northern Vermont. Board members are democratically elected by VEC members in their district or zone and are expected to represent the interests of these members.

With a growing number of communities having experienced water main breaks over the past week and other communities reporting frozen underground water pipes affecting a number of individual customers, Vermont state agencies are ready to provide assistance to communities that may need resources, Governor Peter Shumlin and Public Safety officials have announced.

Communities that need resources in dealing with a water emergency or any other emergency should call the Vermont Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEMHS) Watch Officer at 800-347-0488. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If needed, DEMHS can work with towns to coordinate state agency support from the Agency of Transportation, the Agency of Human Services, the Department of Health or the Agency of Natural Resources.