Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Don Rendall, the incoming CEO of Vermont Gas Systems (VGS), today announced a reset of the Company’s Addison Rutland Natural Gas project. The company will ask the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) to postpone hearings on Phase II of the project, scheduled to begin in January. The company will also file with the PSB a revised cost estimate for Phase 1 of the project, from Burlington to Middlebury. The Middlebury phase is now estimated at $154 million from its original $86 million. This is the second cost estimate increase.

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Vermont Business Magazine All key indicators showed small improvement last month as the labor situation showed marked improvement for the first time in several months. The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for November 2014 was 4.3 percent. This represents a decrease of one-tenth of a percent from the revised October rate (4.4 percent). The equivalent national average was 5.8 percent, which experienced no change from the previous month’s estimate. Vermont’s unemployment rate remains tied for tenth lowest in the US.

Randolph, Vermont, December 17, 2014– Aegis Renewable Energy installed the largest single rooftop solar array in the state at Ayers Brook Goat Dairy in Randolph, VT owned by Vermont Creamery. Generating 200,000 kWh of electricity per year, the array will power the farm and send excess energy through the GMP-Green Mountain Power regional grid to offset electricity used at the Creamery’s cheese making facility. Vermont farms are increasingly investing in long-term sustainable and renewable energy like solar and wind power to reduce operating costs and support environmental and sustainability goals. More than 50 Vermont farms have installed renewable energy systems to offset their electricity usage and source their energy locally.

EPA has released a short video that applauds the voluntary efforts of a professor and students at Bennington College to help their local community combat climate issues by analyzing energy use of municipal streetlights and working with the local power utility to dramatically increase efficiency, saving the town thousands of dollars and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2012, EPA’s New England office began an informal partnership with Bennington College to work with students in a class called “Solving the Impossible.” The class, taught by Professor Susan Sgorbati, charges students to study difficult policy problems and develop the skills to identify and implement solutions. EPA helped Professor Sgorbati by identifying environmental public policy problems for the students to address. One recent class tackled the issue of climate change.

By a vote of 335 to 303, University of Vermont staff members chose not to be represented by the Vermont State Employees Association union. A simple majority of employees who participated in the December 16-17 election was required to determine the outcome.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and Director of Aviation Gene Richards today announced the successful closing of a $15.7 million revenue bond refinancing for Burlington International Airport (BTV), saving the Airport nearly $1 million. A lower interest rate, increased savings, reduced debt load, and improved cash flow were made possible through the recent Moody’s Investors Service credit rating upgrade from “junk” bond status to investment grade – the first upgrade in more than four years.

“Today’s closing is more evidence that the nearly three years of focus and commitment by Burlingtonians on improving municipal finances are paying off,” said Mayor Weinberger. “The long-term savings will reduce the Airport’s expenses and continue the growth of the Airport’s fiscal strength. I am grateful to the Airport staff, City financial officials, the Airport Commission, and the City Council, who have worked together so effectively to achieve these substantial savings.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin announced today that tax rates would be too great at this time to move forward with a single-payer health insurance plan. A long-time supporter of moving to a universal, publicly-financed health care system in Vermont, the governor said he would not support such a plan at this time. He detailed his administration’s health care financing report, set to be delivered to the Legislature in January, at a press conference in the State House Wednesday afternoon.

ANR Secretary Deb Markowitz has announced that William L "Trey" Martin III will become the new Deputy Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Martin will replace Justin Johnson, who leaves the Agency in January to become Governor Shumlin’s Secretary of Administration. Martin is set to start on January 2, 2015. Martin, who currently serves as Senior Counsel for Government Affairs for the Agency’s Department of Environmental Conservation, has been with the ANR since 2012. In that role he has worked extensively on legislative and policy initiatives for the department, as well as serving as a departmental liaison to the legislature.

FairPoint Communications, Inc CEO Paul Sunu today sent the following letter to Governor Peter Shumlin in response to the governor's public letter dated December 12, 2014. Vermont's congressional delegation sent an open letter to Sunu yesterday. The governor and the delegation urged the two sides to get back to the bargaining table and pointedly stated that FairPoint must do more to find a solution to the strike that began October 22. The contracts with unions expired in August and FairPoint subsequently implemented a new benefit plan.

LETTER FROM PAUL SUNU

Vermont House Speaker Shap Smith today asked Vermonters, policy makers and stakeholders to submit education finance and education spending proposals for consideration in the coming legislative session as lawmakers work to create an education system that is sustainable and affordable for taxpayers.

“Vermonters value high quality public education,” said Speaker Smith, “but the current delivery and funding systems have resulted in annual property tax increases that many Vermonters cannot afford. We need to work together to solve this problem. That’s why I am inviting taxpayers, stakeholders and policy makers to add their voices to the conversation the House will undertake when we reconvene in January.”

Vermont’s congressional delegation on Tuesday sent a letter to FairPoint Communications urging the company to negotiate an end to its ongoing labor strike. It has been 136 days since FairPoint’s labor contract expired and 61 days since the beginning of the strike. More than 1,700 members of the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are on strike against FairPoint in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Starting today, Comcast X1 customers in Vermontwill be able to access their TV lineup on any connected screen in their home. Additionally, they will be able to download programs they have recorded on their digital video recorder (DVR) to watch on IP-enabled devices or stream them using an Internet connection, anytime and anywhere. The in-home streaming feature provides access to virtually the entire channel line-up and Xfinity On Demand programming on mobile devices and computers. The content is presented to customers via the familiar X1 user experience.

"These new features -- live in-home streaming and X1 DVR with cloud technology -- give our customers more flexibility for watching their favorite shows and movies in and out of their home," said Mary McLaughlin, Senior Vice President of Comcast's Western New England Region, which includes Vermont. "Now, any screen in the house can become a personal TV, and recorded programs can be accessed anytime, anywhere."