Current News

As part of its ongoing effort to streamline processes in order to better serve its customers, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles in Montpelier announces the launch of its new Driver’s Education Certification Service - its 8th online service in as many years.

“This new service represents a collaborative effort with the Agency of Education to automate the reporting of the annual driver’s education program in Vermont”

Teaming up with the Agency of Education and the state’s eGovernment partner Vermont Information Consortium (VIC), the Vermont DMV is launching the new web service for the 2014-15 school year and the busy season for driver’s education trainings.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Gas Systems, based in South Burlington, has introduced bio-methane into the mix of sources that supplies its customers in Franklin and Chittenden counties, the company announced Thursday. "Renewable natural gas," or bio-methane, is produced naturally from the decomposition of organic materials found in manure and landfills and can be used to supplement traditional natural gas. The renewable methane now flowing into the Vermont Gas system as part of this pilot project is enough to heat 350 average residential homes. It is sourced from a Quebec landfill. Natural gas is also methane.

Don Gilbert, president and CEO of Vermont Gas, said supporting the expansion of renewable natural gas production in Vermont is one of the company’s priorities.

Vermont employees of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc (Keurig) (NASDAQ: GMCR) jumped into the Winooski River thsi week to help clean the waterway of trash and debris for the 10th consecutive year. With the help of American Rivers, Friends of the Winooski and Friends of the Waterbury Reservoir, the much anticipated weeklong employee volunteer event will culminate with the first Community Clean-up Day in the Winooski River Watershed for all Vermonters on Saturday, August 9, 2014.

Joined by renewable energy businesses and advocates, Governor Peter Shumlin on Wednesday cut the ribbon on the South Ridge Solar facility, the first completed 500 kW solar net metering project in Vermont. The project is providing power to Middlebury College as part of the school’s commitment to become carbon neutral.

“This project is about local energy, local investment, and Vermont jobs,” Shumlin said.

South Ridge Solar Farm. Photo by Encore Redevelopment.

As first reported Wednesday, the statewide emergency 911 system in Vermont experienced a 40 minute outage on August 6. During that period, callers seeking emergency assistance in Vermont were not able to reach the 911 call centers. The system failure was corrected later Wednesday and the system has been fully operational since the outage was resolved around 1 pm.

Governor Peter Shumlin, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, Burlington Electric Department Interim General Manager Neale Lunderville, and other stakeholders Wednesday celebrated the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in both the Marketplace and Lakeview Garages in Burlington. These state-of-the-art EV fueling pumps will improve customer convenience and make electric vehicles a more attractive option for Burlington residents.

“I am thrilled to see these charging stations in downtown Burlington,” Shumlin said. “Our grant program demonstrates Vermont’s commitment to supporting electric vehicles. To grow our statewide EV stock, it is important that Burlingtonians and visitors to our communities have charging locations available in town. Installing charging stations in convenient areas is a major step forward.”

According to the Lake Champlain Committee, blue-green algae blooms have begun developing on Lake Champlain, particularly in the shallow northeastern bays – Missisquoi and St Albans. Blue-green algae thrive in nutrient-rich water and can multiply rapidly to form blooms and scums. It is not unusual for blooms to develop in late summer when the water warms. Periods of calm hot weather exacerbate bloom conditions, and they can appear anywhere. Algae conditions can vary widely over short time frames and short distances. While a bloom might occur in one isolated bay, the next cove over can be algae free. Some blooms persist for days, while others pop up and then disappear within a span of hours. Blooms are pushed by the prevailing winds, leading to denser shoreline accumulations downwind.

Based in Burlington, the LCC is Lake Champlain region’s only bi-state citizens’ organization solely dedicated to protecting the health of the lake and accessibility to its waters.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont leaped six places from 15th in 2013, placing ninth with a score of 58.6, in a renewable energy index compiled by a national advocacy organization. With the smallest population of any state except Wyoming, Vermont gets a lot of bang for the buck in normalized scores, particularly in indicators like venture capital deals, energy efficiency program dollars, and hybrid and electric vehicles. Vermont ranks number 3 in Capital and is the highest-ranking eastern state in Technology, finishing eighth, according to the 2014 US CLEAN TECH LEADERSHIP INDEX, released by Clean Edge Inc.

The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) announces the start of the fall semester plumbing and electrical apprenticeship classes. The Vermont Department of Labor provides a grant to Vermont Technical College to assist with classroom instruction, test preparation and other program activities.

“Apprenticeship programs, with structured on-the-job training and related instruction, allow apprentices to learn while earning a competitive salary, in jobs that are in high demand. This specific program offers Vermonters who are interested in the Electrical and Plumbing trades the instruction and job training to enter those professions. The Vermont Department of Labor is committed to expanding our Apprenticeship program offerings into many other occupations, aligning with Vermont’s current and future employment opportunities as determined by our labor-market analysts”, said Vermont’s Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan.

Vermont Business Magazine Personal income tax revenues, the most important single revenue source for Vermont's General Fund, fell below expectations for July, as it had for the last few months of the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014. The lagging personal income tax was somewhat offset by a continued strong performance by the corporate tax and the modestly improved sales, rooms and meals taxes. However, the capricious estate tax was well off. The Transportation and Education funds were both ahead of targets.

Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding released the preliminary July and fiscal year (FY) 2015 revenue results today for the General, Transportation, and Education Funds. July is the first month of FY 2015. These results reflect the new consensus revenue targets as adopted by the Emergency Board last month.

Seventh Generation, the nation's number one brand of renewable, bio-based consumer products, has unveiled its 2013 Corporate Consciousness Report. The company's latest sustainability performance review examines the progress it's made on its objectives to Nurture Nature, Enhance Health, Transform Commerce, and Build Community as it works toward the ambitious end-of-decade goals set forth in its 2020 Roadmap.

Vermont Business Magazine Unlike the Italian opera that has been a feature of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc's quarterly reports over the last few years, when fortunes have been made or lost, investors took a mild view of its thrid quarter 2014 report released Wednesday after the markets had closed. Keurig, based in Waterbury, Vermont, finished the day at $18.13, up slightly from its opening on Wednesday. After the release, shares increased marginally in after-hours trading (NASDAQ: GMCR) and opened Thursday at $18.21. Keurig is a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages with its innovative brewing technology, especially through its single-serve K-cups. Its third quarter ended June 28, 2014. Shares are trading near the upper end of its 52-week range ($56.87 - $128.50).