Current News

Rep. Peter Welch announced on Tuesday bipartisan legislation that would make it more affordable for Vermonters to install wood heating systems in their homes or businesses. The Biomass Thermal Utilization(BTU) Act would expand the existing renewable energy tax credit to include wood, or “biomass thermal,” heating systems. Welch made the announcement at National Life Group’s Montpelier campus. The company installed a wood heating system in 2010 that has reduced its carbon footprint by 45 percent and heating costs by 50 percent.

Welch was joined by representatives from Vermont's biomass industry and energy conservation leaders.

by John McClaughry The 2015 legislature, and of course, Governor Peter Shumlin, are hard at work contriving yet another way to make Vermonters pay more for their electricity. The vehicle is H.40, spearheaded by Representative Tony Klein and just now emerging from the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. It’s the bill to – finally – impose upon Vermont electric utilities a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).

Why are they doing this? To achieve the state’s renewable energy goal of 90% renewable-sourced energy by 2050.

Where did that goal come from? It was proclaimed by Governor Shumlin in 2011. It became the centerpiece of his Comprehensive Energy Plan that same year, and has been implicitly accepted by the Legislature.

Did any legislator ever vote on the record to impose this challenging goal? No, but a majority of the Legislature is intent on driving up electricity prices to reach it.

PC Construction was recently awarded a $20 million project by the Brunswick, ME, Sewer District to upgrade its almost 50-year-old wastewater treatment facility. Decades of water and wastewater plant construction and renovation experience, including similar Maine-based projects in Sanford and Vassalboro, make PC Construction uniquely qualified for the project.

The project is the first wastewater treatment facility in Maine to utilize the construction management at-risk process, which allowed Brunswick Sewer District to select the best construction management team based on their qualifications. CM at-risk – PC Construction’s primary construction delivery method – encourages collaboration and transparency while maintaining a guaranteed maximum price.

Champlain Elementary School, CP Smith Elementary School, JJ Flynn Elementary School and The Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes have been named Vermont ENERGY STAR schools. This achievement signifies that each school's efficiency is in the top 25% of schools in the Country and that it meets stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for healthy ventilation, year-round comfort and lighting quality.

These schools will be recognized at a public award ceremony in Montpelier on February 20 along with 20 other Vermont schools that have achieved ENERGY STAR designation this year. The ceremony will celebrate the continued success of Project Green School, an initiative that aims to put all Vermont schools on the path toward ENERGY STAR designation by 2020.

Secretary of State Jim Condos has announced the completion of Beta testing and the official public release of the Corporations Division’s new Online Business Service Center, www.vtsosonline.com.

“Most of our business community’s registration and filing functions can now be completed online and in real-time; making it easier to start and maintain your business in Vermont than ever before. New business formations have gone from as much as 3 weeks to less than 30 minutes to obtain, and over 99 percent of our businesses now file their annual reports online.” Condos stated.

The City of Burlington Clerk/Treasurer’s Office has announced that the City’s audited annual financial statements, or Audit Report, for fiscal year 2014 and the accompanying Management Letter are available to City residents on the City’s website, where they were posted on February 10. The Audit Report and Management Letter also will be available for review as part of the City’s Annual Report, copies of which will be located at City Hall, Fletcher Free Library, and the Department of Public Works Pine Street facility beginning Thursday afternoon, February 19. Additionally, the City’s Annual Report will be available on Town Meeting Day at all City polling places.

The FY14 audit was approved by the City Council at its February 9 meeting and includes the City’s first positive General Fund unassigned fund balance since 2009.

Vermont author and activist Bill McKibben spoke Monday at Green Mountain College's Ackley Auditorium, touching on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project and the cold temperatures and snow plaguing New England this winter. His talk "Imagining World Communities" addressed ways in which humans are reassessing traditional approaches to providing food, energy, transportation and governance in response to rapid environmental and economic changes.

McKibben said warmer air around the globe causes more moisture to be held in the atmosphere. When storms occur, this added moisture can fuel heavier precipitation in the form of rain or snow. "What we're seeing this winter is entirely consistent with what climate scientists expect to see," McKibben said.

The University of Vermont is ranked number 7 among medium-sized schools in the Peace Corps’ 2015 rankings of the top volunteer-producing colleges and universities across the country. The ranking recognizes the highest volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the US for small, medium, large and graduate institutions.

UVM currently has 25 alumni serving in Botswana, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. They work in sectors including agriculture, education, environment, health and youth development.

UVM alumnus Jed Glosenger, '12, a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama. UVM photo

Governor Peter Shumlin’s proposal to increase funding to Vermont’s Blueprint for Health is getting a boost from two new reports that show the program is leading national efforts to slow the growth of health care costs – by up to $2,200 per person, per year, according to one study – and contributing to better health outcomes for Vermonters.

“It’s clear that the Blueprint is lowering health care costs for Vermonters, reducing the need for emergency care, and helping Vermonters lead healthier lives,” Shumlin said. “As we work to transition to a health care system that rewards quality of care over quantity of care, the Blueprint will be an important part of Vermont’s health care future.”

Community Bancorp, the holding company for Community National Bank in Derby, Vermont, (OTCQX: CMTV) has qualified to upgrade its common stock to OTCQX, the top financial marketplace for established, global and growth companies operated by OTC Markets Group. The company previously traded on OTCQB, the venture marketplace operated by OTC Markets Group.

The University of Vermont Medical Center has announced it is investing $419,336 in a broad range of non-profit social service and health programs in Chittenden and Franklin counties through its Community Benefit Fund. Seniors needing transportation, children lacking nutritious food, and low income residents seeking medical care will all benefit from this funding. (See list of organizations and grant amounts below).

The grants are part of more than $100 million in community benefits provided by the UVM Medical Center each year, including charity care and approximately $750,000 in Community Benefit Fund grants.

Spruce Peak Realty concluded record sales of the latest addition to Spruce Peak at Stowe, the 19-unit Club Residences, selling out in just six weeks. The luxury condominiums range in size from two- to five- bedrooms (1,300-3,600 square feet), priced from $1,100,000 to $4,000,000. The total sales is valued at $42 million. The Club Residences are being constructed at the heart of the new base village above the Adventure Center, another amenity being added to the 35-acre exclusive ski-in/ski-out community at the base of Stowe Mountain Resort.

“This is one of the most successful ski resort sales programs in the US during the 2014-15 ski season. Spruce Peak at Stowe has found the right product for the market with the Club Residences, offering a limited number of exclusive homes in a great location in this outstanding four season mountain resort community,” said Spruce Peak VP and Director of Real Estate Development Sam Gaines.