Current News

VermontBiz Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL), and the McClure Foundation announced the release of Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs, featuring more than 50 occupations expected to pay a median wage above $30/hour and have at least 300 openings over the next decade. 

“We have tens of thousands of jobs available in Vermont,” said Governor Scott. “It’s more important than ever we make sure our kids, and adults looking for new careers, know about all the good paying, in demand opportunities here in the state.” 

VermontBiz As Vermonters prepare for colder weather, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging drivers to switch off their ignition to limit unnecessary idling of their vehicle engines.

“Idling isn’t good for your car or our air,” said DEC Commissioner Batchelder. “It not only causes excess engine wear and wastes fuel and money, but it also pollutes our air which impacts our health, climate, and environment.”

In Vermont, motor vehicles are a significant source of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. The exhaust from vehicle idling degrades air quality for all Vermonters and is most detrimental to children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Environmental Advocacy Clinic, on behalf of six leading climate scientists, has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit). The amicus brief urges the court to uphold the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) vehicle emissions standards, known as “Emissions Standards for Light- and Medium-Duty Vehicles” (Emissions Standards). The Emissions Standards require vehicle manufacturers to phase-in technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new light- and medium-duty vehicles, including passenger vehicles and small cargo trucks. These standards rely on clean car technologies, such as hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery electric vehicles. The Emissions Standards will lower the emissions of harmful pollutants, which protects public health, and benefit consumers by decreasing fuel costs and the need for vehicle maintenance and repairs.

Vermont Business Magazine As the year comes to a close, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking annual reports on surface water withdrawals. Under Act 135 of 2022, any person withdrawing surface water must file an annual report with DEC by January 15, 2025. The purpose of Act 135 is to collect baseline data on the use of surface waters such as rivers, streams, brooks, creeks, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Anyone who withdraws 10,000 gallons or more of surface water within 24 hours – or 150,000 gallons or more over 30 days – is required to fill out an online form to register and report their withdrawal.  

Vermont Business Magazine The 2025 Vermont Watershed Grants Program is now accepting applications for projects that protect, restore and enhance the state's lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds, including Vermonters’ ability to understand and enjoy these treasures.  Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday February 5, 2025. Program grants are available to municipalities, local and regional government agencies, sporting clubs, non-profit organizations, and water-related citizen groups.  Projects that seek to directly protect or restore fish and aquatic wildlife habitat are strongly encouraged.  Examples of past funded projects include streamside vegetation restoration the removal of old dams and replacement of culverts to improve fish passage. For 2025, $70,000 is available to fund three categories of projects. The three categories and the maximum amount for each project type are: education and outreach ($5,000); planning, assessment, inventory, monitoring ($3,500); and on-the-ground implementation ($10,000).

VermontBiz U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) took to the Senate floor Tuesday to advocate for the freedom of political prisoners around the world. The Senators urged bipartisan cooperation to secure the release of prisoners of conscience who are detained, often in inhumane conditions, for peacefully expressing views that are critical of their repressive governments.  

VermontBiz  Yesterday, the Economic Services Division of the Vermont Department for Children and Families announced the implementation of an administrative procedure to prioritize providing emergency housing assistance. Under this administrative procedure, certain individuals who are eligible for General Assistance Emergency Housing Assistance under Act 113 will nonetheless be deprioritized, including disabled Vermonters under 50 years old. 

What this means is that people who are under the age of 50 living with disabilities who don’t meet another priority category are not able to access emergency housing through the same process as any other individual eligible under ACT 113. They will have limited access to get inside and shortened time frames when they do. 

VermontBiz Governor Phil Scott today announced new appointments within the administration and on his senior policy team.  

“Throughout my career, in both construction and politics, I’ve seen how important it is to build a good team to focus on the fundamentals and achieve results,” said Governor Phil Scott. “Vermonters sent us a clear message about what matters most to them, and I’m confident each of these individuals will follow through and make Vermont a better and more affordable place to live, work and do business.” 

VermontBiz The University of Vermont has announced that the contract with the United Academics Full-Time bargaining unit has been ratified as of December 6, 2025. This marks the successful conclusion of negotiations that began earlier this year and demonstrates the university’s commitment to productive dialogue and collaboration. 

“This new contract reflects the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in the process,” Interim President Patricia Prelock said. “We are proud to have worked together to reach an agreement that supports our outstanding faculty and strengthens our shared mission of academic excellence and enriching our community.” 

VermontBiz Comcast Business today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Nitel, a U.S. managed services provider headquartered in Chicago, from international private equity firm Cinven. The acquisition will expand Comcast Business’ presence in connectivity, global secure networking and advanced technology, and enhance Comcast’s ability to serve enterprise clients.  

Nitel is a network-as-a-service (NaaS) provider, specializing in delivering advanced managed services and connectivity solutions to enterprise customers across the U.S. With a focus on high-performance networking, cloud services, and cybersecurity, Nitel empowers businesses to optimize their operations and drive digital transformation. Known for its customer-centric approach, Nitel offers customized solutions that meet the unique needs of its clients, enabling them to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.  

VermontBiz Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the credit rating of Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (Leahy BTV) to “Baa1” from “Baa2” with a stable outlook. This achievement marks the airport’s highest credit rating in nearly 15 years and reflects significant strides in financial stability and operational performance.

In its report, Moody’s noted Leahy BTV’s “strong utilization rates despite its smaller size,” sound core financial metrics, and robust cost-recovery framework relative to it’s established airline agreement. The report also praised the airport's liquidity—over 300 days of cash on hand—stable cost profile, and manageable capital investment program funded largely by federal grants. Burlington’s role as a regional hub for government, healthcare, and higher education supports steady air travel demand, reinforcing the airport’s stability, market position and importance in the overall economy to our State and beyond.

VermontBiz In 2023, Vermont experienced a net gain of 7,500 residents moving from other states, according to a Treasurer’s Office analysis of recent U.S. Census data. 

The report highlights Vermont’s strong appeal in the post-pandemic era.

In 2023, Vermont had the highest per capita net migration in New England and the third-highest per capita net migration of any U.S. state. Over the past three years net migration to Vermont has already significantly exceeded the net migration of the previous decade (+25,121 for 2021-23 vs. +16,067 for 2010-19).