Current News

Green Mountain Power has been named a finalist in the Platts 2010 Global Energy Awards. The competition is intended to honor and recognize those that have transcended the status quo in the name of excellence in leadership, innovation and performance. Green Mountain Power has been recognized in the "Green Energy Initiative" category.
"We are honored to receive this recognition," says Mary Powell, President and CEO of Green Mountain Power. "Green Mountain Power is committed to an energy vision that builds environmental and economic value for our customers, while helping to create a clean energy economy that combats climate change and creates green jobs in Vermont. This nomination recognizes some of the steps we have taken to build utility-owned renewable generation projects and to promote customer-owned solar."

Entergy Vermont Yankee officials notified the Department of Health on Friday that a positive tritium sample from the Construction Office Building well. This well had been used in the past for drinking water, but it was taken out of service in March 2010 and is not being used for drinking water. The sample measured at a tritium concentration of 1,040 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). While this is far below the drinking water limit of 20,000 pCi/L, the impact this find has on the future of the plant and the governor's race could be profound. Already Republican Brian Dubie, a staunch supporter of the plant in the past, has backed off that support, and his opponent, Peter Shumlin, who has been one of the strongest opponents against extending the plant's license, has said this is one more indicator that the plant should be shut down. The nuclear power plant's license expires in 2012.

Lung specialists face numerous challenges in conjunction with treating patients with end-stage lung disease, many of whose only hope is lung transplantation, a solution saddled with risks, including a high rate of rejection. Thanks to a late-arriving, $4.26 million Recovery Act grant – part of the limited National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Opportunity for Research funding competition – University of Vermont (UVM) physician-scientist Daniel Weiss, MD, PhD, and colleagues will be able to vigorously examine a novel approach to growing new lungs for patients lacking other treatment options.

Green Mountain Vista Inc of Williston has added its name to the manufacturers and retailers joining the voluntary recall announced in December 2009 of ALL Roman shades and roll-up blinds.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the Green Mountain Vista, announced the voluntary recall of the Roman shades. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Roman shades
Units: About 200,000
Manufacturer: Green Mountain Vista, Inc. of Williston, Vt.
Hazard: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the shade or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

On the heels of completing final approvals of loans to nearly 2,000 firms that has been in its loan queue waiting for final approval of the Small Business Jobs Act, the US Small Business Administration has finished implementation of another major element of the bill: increasing maximum sizes in several of its loan programs.
The changes – effective today – are permanent for general small business loans under SBA’s 7(a) guaranteed loan program, fixed asset loans through the 504 Certified Development Company program, Microloans, and International Trade, Export Working Capital and Export Express loans. A temporary increase for SBA Express loans is good for one year.

Community health centers at Springfield, Plainfield and Richford were awarded $4.3 million in the first round of grants under a new health care law, the Vermont congressional delegation announced today.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) fought for $11 billion in The Affordable Care Act to expand health centers and double to 40 million the number of patients served nationwide over the next five years.
‘A week after breaking ground on the new health center in Burlington, it is extremely exciting to see expansion projects approved for Springfield, Richford and Plainfield,’ Sanders said. ‘This will create jobs in the short term, but most importantly it will improve access to affordable primary health care, dental care and low-cost prescription drugs.’

Governor Jim Douglas today signed a proclamation declaring Fire Prevention Week in Vermont at an event with students at St. Johnsbury Elementary School. The 2010 Fire Prevention Week theme is, ‘Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with!’
Fires result in an average of nine deaths in Vermont each year, cause more than a 1,000 people to be treated at emergency departments for fire and burn injuries and cost an estimated $70 million in property damage. Working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, installed outside of each sleeping area and on every level of every home, are essential for the safety of Vermonters.

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is offering a new low mortgage interest rate: 4.125% APR for a 30-year, fixed rate loan with no points for qualified borrowers.
The new rate, which became effective yesterday, is the lowest ever offered by VHFA.
"This new rate means the dream of homeownership is within the reach of more people," said VHFA Executive Director Sarah Carpenter. "Market conditions have never been more challenging for organizations such as VHFA, so we can't say how long we'll be at 4.125%. But we remain committed to providing Vermonters with the lowest rates we can."
The new 4.125% rate is part of VHFA's Government Guaranteed Home Loan Program, which includes loans from USDA/Rural Development, the Veterans Administration, and the Federal Housing Administration.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D) announced Thursday that loan funds from the Small Business Jobs Act signed by President Obama last week (September 27) have already cleared the backlog of business expansion loans that had been approved, but not yet funded, for small businesses in Vermont.
The lawmakers report that the U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded $1.5 million in loans to five Vermont firms that had applied and been approved for small business loans and been approved but not awarded, due to a shortfall of loan funds. The earlier American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 increased guarantees and reduced fees in SBA’s two largest lending programs. High demand quickly exhausted those loan funds, but small businesses were allowed to continue applying in case added funding became available.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc could face a class action lawsuit because of questions related to its accounting practices and a recent stock sale. Another shareholder has filed a separate suit in Burlington seeking damages and changes in certain management practices at the rapidly growing Waterbury coffee company. And at least five other firms are filing suits or considering such from out-of-state.
The Security and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement is conducting an inquiry into how GMCR recognizes revenue, according to company documents included in a filing with the SEC. GMCR and the SEC declined to comment on the nature of the investigation.

During separate tours of Bennington’s Energizer and Vermont Composites factories Thursday, US Senator Patrick Leahy pointed to new research and development contracts at Energizer and new defense contracts at Vermont Composites as cornerstones of Southwestern Vermont’s economic future. Leahy visited the two facilities to announce a $2 million contract at Energizer and to see the work Vermont Composites is doing on several military airframes.
‘Energizer and Vermont Composites are investing in new technologies that hold great potential to be at the heart of Southwestern Vermont’s economy for decades to come,’ said Leahy, who, as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and of it Defense Subcommittee, has championed investments in projects that both firms are working on.

Chaput Family Farms, Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Central Vermont Public Service will host a free Cow Power Open House Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the farm at 2473 Route 105 East in North Troy. Farm tours, renewable energy information and a free picnic lunch will be available.
Chaput Family Farms began generating power from cow manure on Aug. 3, 2010, and is expected to produce about 1.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. It is the third farm in VEC’s service territory producing clean renewable energy from cow manure through collaborative efforts of VEC and the CVPS Cow Powerâ ¢ program. The farm is the seventh to join CVPS Cow Powerâ ¢. It is expected to provide enough energy for nearly 250 homes.