Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, January 3, Sugarbush Resort submitted two sets of applications to the Town of Warren Development Review Board seeking approval to redevelop the former Rosita’s Restaurant and three of the four so called Sugar Cube parcels to house Sugarbush Resort employees. The Rosita’s project contemplates a four-story apartment building housing 16 studio apartments along with four floors of congregate living. The congregate living units include a total of 176 single occupancy bedrooms with shared living, dining, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry facilities. The Sugar Cube project contemplates rebuilding three existing single-family dwellings. The redevelopment plan includes one 2-bedroom, one 4-bedroom and one 6-bedroom single family dwelling(s).

Vermont Business Magazine As Montpelier's first Vermont certified "Green Restaurant," the Wayside Restaurant continues to expand on its earth-friendly initiatives. In addition to its 6 rooftop solar hot water panels they are now enjoying the benefits of a 2,160 panel ground-mounted array. Working with Norwich Solar, the Wayside is now partnered with 5 other businesses and towns in a 500kW Community Solar array located in Perkinsville, Vermont (Town of Weathersfield, Windsor County). The bifacial solar panels are state-of-the-art. In addition to collecting sunlight on the front of the panel, the backside collects light as well. These panels work double-duty in the winter collecting reflected light off the snow-covered ground.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont have risen 2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.40/g today, according to GasBuddy price reports. Prices are down 15 cents from a month ago and are up 5 cents from one year ago. The lowest price in the state is $2.99 in Brattleboro and the highest is $3.99 in Island Pond. The national average price of gasoline has risen 1 cent per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.27/g today.

by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute There were two threads running through Governor Phil Scott’s fourth Inaugural Address last week. One was a clear, even refreshing, acknowledgement of the role that government and money played in the last few years to protect Vermonters and improve their lives. The other was the governor’s vision of a future Vermont where all communities, big and small, have the tools they need to be “more dynamic and vibrant.” The challenge of this new biennium will be to keep these two threads connected. Continued public investment—government and money—will be required to provide the kind of infrastructure and services the governor wants Vermonters to have.

Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing The US General Services Administration (GSA) is holding a public meeting this evening, January 12, at 5:30 pm in St Albans to discuss expansion of the Highgate border crossing that sits at the northern end of Interstate 89. This first public meeting is to discuss the project timeline and the process for public feedback. GSA will consider three project alternatives and seek public input multiple times over the next 18 to 24 months. No project plans or designs are currently available for review or being decided on at this meeting. As more information on the project becomes available it will be updated at the GSA website.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) announced today it is launching two programs to connect income-qualified customers with solar energy that has too often been out of reach for them. The Shared Solar Program (SSP) unlocks incentives in the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to create a qualified low-income program that saves participants money. Another program, the Affordable Community Renewable Energy (ACRE) Pilot, will use a state grant so eligible customers can take part in new Vermont solar projects, providing them discounts for five years. Together, these new programs will help thousands of eligible GMP customers save money while growing new Vermont community solar.

Vermont Business Magazine ISO New England system operators used steps from a well-established operating procedure to balance supply and demand on the regional power system during the evening peak hours of December 24, 2022, when unexpected generator outages and reductions and lower-than-expected imports led to a shortfall in operating reserves. The ISO’s actions came during a period that saw challenges to the electric grid across North America, as extreme weather caused different issues to different power systems, including necessitating controlled power outages in parts of the United States. Penalties for the Christmas Eve event are estimated to be approximately $39 million, based on initial data. Charges for underperformance are paid by the underperforming resources, not electricity ratepayers.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association Drafty, inefficient homes in need of weatherization will soon have a new affordable program available to them with the launch of the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP). WRAP will allow Vermont households to pay for qualifying weatherization projects like insulation and air sealing, as well as heat pumps, through a monthly charge on their utility bill that can be paid back over time. Both homeowners and renters can participate in the program. WRAP’s on-bill payment mechanism intends to address challenges commonly encountered in weatherization, including high upfront costs and limited access to credit. WRAP will not run credit checks on customers, instead verifying a clean utility bill payment history.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Co-op (VEC) has recently added two new incentives to make it more affordable for members to move to electric powered devices for their energy needs in their homes and businesses. A new program for no-cost Level II electric vehicle chargers was launched January 1, and last year the co-op added induction cooktops to the list of incentives that qualify for a bill credit. VEC’s incentive program, known as the Energy Transformation Program, is designed to benefit the entire co-op membership over time - not just those who take advantage of the program – because VEC calibrates the incentives to pay for themselves through additional electric sales for the co-op.

Vermont Business Magazine How can responsible forest management be part of building a more functional, beautiful, and equitable world? Join Ethan Tapper, the Chittenden County Forester, Audubon Vermont and Pride Center of Vermont for a Pride Hike at the Hinesburg Town Forest. We’ll walk an area of the HTF which is currently being managed and talk about forests, forest management, birds, and forest ecology.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College students planning careers focused on the environment – or those hoping to better understand humans’ impact on the natural world – will directly benefit from federal funding included in the 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, thanks to the hard work of alumnus and now-retired Appropriations Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (‘61). The approximately $6.5 million funding – the largest direct grant ever received by the College – will fund the continued growth and development of the College’s Center for the Environment. The Center, which was officially launched in 2019, creates and supports interdisciplinary, project-based, and place-based education in, for, and about the environment.