Current News

by John Herrick vtdigger.org An electric vehicle charging station near the state capitol in Montpelier. Photo by John Herrick/VTDigger
Some lawmakers were caught off guard when the state’s energy efficiency utility pitched a plan to go into the business of air-source heat pumps and electric cars – technologies that use more electricity but cut down on fossil fuel emissions.
“What does the future hold in 10 years?” said George Twigg, director of public affairs for Efficiency Vermont, a subsidiary of the national company Vermont Energy Investment Corp. “We don’t necessarily know,” he continued.
Early this session, the utility presented the Senate Finance Committee with a proposal to penetrate the budding industry of electric cars.
“What is an electric car except for a big appliance on wheels?” Twigg said. But lawmakers had little appetite for the proposal to expand the utility’s offerings.

The US Department of Labor Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance has issued a determination dated March 7, 2014, determining most of the IBM workers who were laid off in June 2013 as being “trade eligible.” This certification for extended unemployment benefits will include the IBM workers who are facing layoff at end of this month.
This was the second filing by Vermont Department of Labor to the US Department of Labor, as the federal Office of Trade Adjustment had not certified all of the 419 workers that Vermont had asked for in the original petition filed in June 2013.

Related Company: Jasper Hill FarmCabot Creamery Cooperative, IncGrafton Village Cheese Co, LLCVermont cheesmakers won five gold medals at the World Championship Cheese Contest, which concluded Wednesday in Madison, WI. Jasper Hill Farm of Greensboro and Cabot Creamery both won multiple awards with Grafton Village Cheese earning a podium. Jasper Hill also placed two cheeses, their Bayley Hazen Blue and Harbison, among the overall Top 16.

For the grand prize, the international panel of expert judges named a Swiss Emmentaler as the 2014 World Championship Cheese. (See list of category winners below)
Cabot earned the following "Best of Class" recognitions:

1st Place: Cheddar Aged Two Years or Longer: Cabot Vintage Choice Cheddar
1st Place: Pepper Flavored "American" Style Cheeses: Cabot Hot Buffalo Wing Cheddar
1st Place: Cottage Cheese: Cabot Vermont Cottage Cheese

by John Herrick vtdigger.org A proposal to limit forest fragmentation was thwarted by developers who oppose using the state’s land use and development laws as a tool to keep woodlands intact, according to the lead sponsor of the bill that was gutted on the Senate floor Wednesday.
“There are developers in a certain corner of the state that are very concerned that nothing gets in the way of their planned development,” said Sen. Peter Galbraith, D-Windham.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org A House panel will bring the property tax rate down from an initial 7 cent increase down to 4 cents for residential homeowners. The proposal pushes commercial rates up 8 cents.
The House Ways and Means Committee took a straw poll on the proposal on Tuesday, and lawmakers supported it in a 7-4 vote. Rep. Adam Greshin, I-Warren, voted against the proposal because he said the 8 cent increase is a roughly 5 percent jump in the tax for non-residential taxpayers and it “strains the notion of fairness.”
Though legislators on the panel are still working through a number of details in the committee bill, they agreed to a 98 cent tax on the base rate for homeowners and a $1.52 rate for commercial payers. The base education amount, which is used in the formula for calculating the actual rate property taxpayers are assessed, will go up to $9,382.

The University of Vermont is among 12 recipients selected for a prestigious 2014 Beckman Scholars Program award recognizing outstanding undergraduate research students in chemistry and biological sciences.

by John Herrick vtdigger.org
Senate lawmakers are concerned that a bill designed to give towns more say in the location of solar projects may prevent the state from moving towards its renewable energy goals.
At a Senate Democratic caucus Tuesday, lawmakers discussed a committee bill, S191, which would require state regulators to uphold town energy plans when deciding whether to approve energy projects.
Sungen solar farm in Sharon off I-89. Photo by Roger Crowley/for VTDigger
The bill comes after towns raised concerns over the rapid growth of the solar industry’s expansion into rural areas of the state.
Renewable energy advocates who oppose the bill say it could prevent the state from moving toward its energy goal to source 90 percent of its power from renewables by 2050, as described in the state’s comprehensive energy plan.

The Town of Rutland is encouraging residents to get personally involved in reducing stormwater pollution. Through a new brochure and online resource, Water Wise: The Stormwater Website for Rutland Town, Vermont, the town is raising awareness about the most common causes of stormwater runoff pollution and what steps individuals can take to reduce this kind of pollution in local streams, such as Moon Brook.
Stormwater runoff occurs when excess water from rain or snowmelt does not soak into the ground. As the runoff flows over land or paved streets and parking lots, it picks up debris, chemicals, sediment or other pollutants along the way.
The pollutants can end up downstream in Otter Creek and even Lake Champlain and adversely affect drinking water, fish and wildlife, and recreational activities such as fishing and swimming.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org
Jeffersonville Democrat John Bauer, 57, is seeking his party’s nomination to challenge Republican Phil Scott for lieutenant governor.
Bauer will run on economic and environmental issues, but his campaign will likely be defined by pushback against money in politics.

Related Company: Green Mountain Power CorpIn the first of its kind initiative in Vermont, Green Mountain Power is testing new smart grid technology called The Smart Home, which allows Vermonters to track real time power use using a new GMP iPhone app. The Smart Home is the latest innovation to come from the Company’s Energy Innovation Center in Rutland.
As part of the initial test of this technology, 25 people including GMP employees, educators and customers will take part in the test phase. GMP will use the test phase to assess and adjust product functionality and improve customer satisfaction.

Related Company: University of VermontA new farming education endeavor at the University of Vermont will give students the opportunity to learn about sustainable farm practices, contribute to the local food system and help support research needs of the university.
Catamount Educational Farm in South Burlington will offer an extensive hands-on farm experience for post-traditional, undergraduate and high school students. Produce grown at the farm will be sold to select outlets within the UVM community, including University Dining Services, and be available at the UVM farm stand and through a CSA.

Ninety-two companies worldwide have been recognized for creating the most positive overall social and environmental impact by the nonprofit B Lab, with the release of the third annual B Corp Best for the World list. The B Corp Best for the World list honors businesses that earned an overall score in the top 10 percent of all Certified B Corporations on the B Impact Assessment, a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of a company's impact on its workers, community, and the environment. Honorees were recognized among micro, small and mid-sized businesses.
Vermont-based SunCommon earned recognition as one of the world’s twenty-two small businesses “Best for Environmental Impact.” SunCommon is Vermont’s largest residential solar business. “Our very purpose is positive environmental impact, so it’s great to be recognized for trying to do our bit,” said SunCommon Co-President Duane Peterson responding to this announcement.