Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Starting this Saturday and into the Fall, Green Mountain Power (GMP) customers can join the GMP team at events around Vermont to learn more about switching to clean electricity to power their lives, and how GMP rebates and programs can help them save on electric yard care equipment, electric vehicles (EVs), home energy storage, heat pumps, and more. This Saturday, GMP will be at the Noble Ace Labor Day BBQ in Rutland, 11am-2pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Tuesday issued the following statement after the Biden Administration announced the first ten prescription drugs that will be subject to price negotiations between Medicare and drug manufacturers: “While the pharmaceutical industry makes huge profits every year, the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. And that situation is getting worse. Last year, the median price of new drugs approved by the FDA was over $220,000."

Vermont Business Magazine VCBB submitted Vermont’s 5-Year Action Plan to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) this week. It’s the first of several documents that need to be approved to unlock $229 million from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program for the state’s broadband buildout. The 5-Year Action Plan describes Vermont’s vision and strategy for using the BEAD program to achieve universal high-speed broadband access in the state. The vision is that all Vermonters have universal access to reliable, high-quality, affordable, fixed broadband at speeds of at least 100/100 Mbps, and that all Vermonters and institutions have the tools and skills necessary to maximize its value.

Vermont Business Magazine The Rutland Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 pm, Friday, Sept 1, 2023. The center is currently open 8 am to 6 pm. The Springfield Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 pm, Saturday, Sept 2, 2023. The center is currently open 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday. For flood relief as of August 30, FEMA has distributed $16.3 million, and the SBA has distributed over $12 million. The State of Vermont has requested that FEMA extend its deadline to apply for flood relief from September 12 to October 12. A decision is expected soon. However, Governor Scott is urging Vermonters impacted by the flood to apply as soon as possible and not assume the date will be extended.

Vermont Business Magazine The National Life Group Do Good Fest® brought in $1,712, 445 in donations and pledges for Vermont Community Foundation’s VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023. With the devastation Vermont experienced last month from historic flooding, National Life transformed within three days the annual benefit concert Do Good Fest, historically held on the company’s back lawn, to an indoor acoustic performance that was livestreamed so that viewers across Vermont, the nation and globally could support the rebuilding of Vermont through online donations. The July 15 event, Do Good Fest, generated 1,845 gifts from 42 states and five countries outside of the US raising $962,445 with National Life matching $750,000.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 1 is awarding a total of $3 million from the agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program to the State of Vermont. The award given to the State of Vermont will fund the development of plans and innovative strategies to cut climate pollution and build clean energy economies. Working in tandem with other programs also funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, CPRG provides flexible planning resources to local governments, states, Tribes, and territories for climate solutions that protect communities from pollution and advance environmental justice.

Vermont Business Magazine In its seventh year supporting those in need and the vital work of the Vermont Foodbank, the Vermont Legal Community Fighting Hunger Food Drive will start Friday, September 8th and run until Friday, September 22nd. This year, the Attorney General’s Office is encouraging members of the legal community to collect diapers, in addition to food, to support Vermont families experiencing diaper need. For many people in Vermont, the intersecting challenges of the pandemic, economic disruptions, inflation, and now flooding, have made it difficult to keep food on the table, and most pandemic-era programs supporting households for the past three years have ended.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont residents affected by July’s floods have many options to kickstart their recovery. FEMA grants can help pay for home repairs, rent while you’re displaced, personal property losses, medical expenses and other disaster-related needs not covered by other sources. To apply for FEMA assistance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA App or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service when you apply.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Women’s Fund will hold its 2023 Annual Celebration on Friday, September 22 at the University of Vermont’s Davis Center featuring special guest Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and author/founder of Know Your Value. The celebration will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and be emceed by Vermont Public’s Jane Lindholm, with music provided by Kat Wright. The Women’s Fund, a component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, is a statewide nonprofit whose philanthropic mission is to advance and achieve gender equity in Vermont. The special guest at this year’s annual celebration is known for helping women meet their goals and expand their careers.     

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) today released the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s announcement of the first 10 prescription drugs that will be subject to price negotiation thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and provisions Senator Welch championed in the House.  Even before realizing savings from drug price negotiations, the IRA has already delivered savings to seniors through its $35 cap on insulin and vaccine coverage for seniors. In addition, the IRA will generate an average savings for Medicare beneficiaries in Vermont of $492 per year on prescription drug costs, once the $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap goes into effect in 2025. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont families with school-age children are getting a boost to their bank accounts thanks to federal funding for summer food benefits. The federal government authorized the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) and Agency of Education (AOE) to provide a temporary food benefit to all students in public schools, as well as some in independent schools. In total, between February – May 11, 2023, $9,980,804 in Pandemic EBT, or P-EBT benefits, including a summer benefit, was provided to 80,556 students in 53,535 households. Since the start of the P-EBT program in Spring 2020, Vermont families have received $95.6 million in P-EBT benefits. Because the federal public health emergency has ended, this is the final year of P-EBT.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont residents affected by July’s severe storms, flooding, mudslides and landslides are reminded to apply for FEMA assistance. If you had storm-related expenses and live in or own a business in Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham or Windsor counties, you should apply as soon as possible. FEMA Assistance may provide grants to assist with your recovery, including temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster-related needs. The U.S. Small Business Administration may provide loans for your recovery, both for businesses and individual households.