Category Archives: Energy

Utility surcharges in place to help low-income customers

Posted on October 9, 2013 by | Comments Off on Utility surcharges in place to help low-income customers

BURLINGTON — Vermont utility companies are wading through their first year of levying surcharges to residential and commercial consumers to help low-income consumers pay their bills.
Green Mountain Power and Vermont Gas Systems each initiated the fees this year, after the legislature and state Public Service Board mandated the surcharges.
The Burlington Free Press reports that residential customers of Green Mountain Power pay $1.50 a month and Vermont Gas customers pay $1.39 a month.
The Vermont Chapter of the AARP lobbied for the fee to help fixed-income seniors stay in their homes.
Some customers complain that the fee amounts to forced charity, but the measure has numerous advocates.
Vermont is the last New England state to enact programs to help low-income customers through fees to all customers.

BURLINGTON — Vermont utility companies are wading through their first year of levying surcharges to residential and commercial consumers to help low-income consumers pay their bills.
Green Mountain Power and Vermont Gas Systems each initiated the fees this year, after the legislature and state Public Service Board mandated the surcharges.
The Burlington Free Press reports that residential customers of Green Mountain Power pay $1.50 a month and Vermont Gas customers pay $1.39 a month.
The Vermont Chapter of the AARP lobbied for the fee to help fixed-income seniors stay in their homes.
Some customers complain that the fee amounts to forced charity, but the measure has numerous advocates.
Vermont is the last New England state to enact programs to help low-income customers through fees to all customers.

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Posted in Energy, GMP

Police warn about power company phone scam

Posted on August 20, 2013 by | Comments Off on Police warn about power company phone scam

BRATTLEBORO — Police in Brattleboro, are warning residents of a phone scam saying their power will be cut off if they don’t make a money transfer.
Police say residents have been getting calls from people claiming to be from Green Mountain Power. The callers say they will shut off the power if the residents don’t meet them to make a money transfer.
Police are telling residents not to meet with the callers, but to call Green Mountain Power to verify that the power is not being disconnected. They ask residents to call the Brattleboro Police Department if they receive such calls.

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Posted in Brattleboro, Crime, Energy

Welch joins Republican to back energy efficiency

Posted on May 24, 2013 by | Comments Off on Welch joins Republican to back energy efficiency

MONTPELIER — Vermont Congressman Peter Welch is joining Republican Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia to back legislation designed to promote more energy efficiency in homes and other buildings.
One of the bills, The Home Owner Managing Energy Savings Act, would provide rebates to homeowners who invest in energy efficiency improvements. Homeowners who demonstrate a 20 percent energy savings will receive a $2,000 rebate. For every 5 percent in additional energy savings, they can receive another $1,000 - up to a total of $8,000 or 50 percent of the project’s cost.
A second measure, the Better Buildings Act, would help get commercial landlords and tenants together to bring about the best energy savings practices to use when out-fitting space for their tenants’ needs.

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Posted in Energy, Environment, Peter Welch

Bennington set to start new hydro power project

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Comments Off on Bennington set to start new hydro power project

BENNINGTON — A developer has received state and federal permits to generate electricity at a 200-year-old dam site on Vermont’s Walloomsac River.
Bill Scully and his company, Carbon Zero, bought the old Vermont Tissue Mill in North Bennington in 2008. Vermont Public Radio reports (http://bit.ly/1a5HRDd) Scully started his quest to revive the dam that once powered the mill soon after that.
Scully hopes to produce electricity for about 220 homes and for his own businesses, which include a couple of restaurants and a store.
Hey says his project will improve water quality by increasing the flow of water in a channel that’s now dry for part of the year. He says it also will create new, year-round habitat for migrating fish and other aquatic life.

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Posted in Bennington, Bennington County, Energy, Vermont News

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Vermont solar company touts accomplishments after first year

Posted on April 29, 2013 by | Comments Off on Vermont solar company touts accomplishments after first year

MONTPELIER — Vermont’s largest residential solar power company is touting its accomplishments after its first year in business.
And SunCommon is holding an event Monday in Montpelier where officials will call on the Legislature to continue supporting what they say is a growing industry.
SunCommon began operations in March 2012.
The Monday event will be at the home of a customer that now uses solar power to help produce electricity for the home.

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Posted in Energy, Environment, Montpelier

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Girl Scouts to host energy fair in Arlington

Posted on April 25, 2013 by | Comments Off on Girl Scouts to host energy fair in Arlington

ARLINGTON — An energy fair on Saturday at Fisher Elementary School that will provide information to help Vermont home and business owners save money while using less energy and protecting the climate, will be presented by the Girl Scout Cadette Troop 30215 of Arlington.
The fair, which is the culminating event for the Cadette Scouts’ “Take Action” project, runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Key Vermont organizations and businesses will offer a combination of informational booths and workshops because while spring is in the air, saving on heating and cooling costs is never out of season.
Companies sending representatives include Vermont Neighbor Works, Central Vermont Solar and Wind and Arlington-based Solar Pro. The Vermont Energy Education Program will offer a workshop to “Button Up” and make your home more comfortable and energy efficient, as well as electricity displays featuring Energy Star. Continue reading →

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Posted in Bennington County, Energy

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Report finds no danger from smart meter radiation

Posted on January 23, 2013 by | 1 Comment

MONTPELIER — A report on the dangers of smart meters prepared for the Vermont Department of Public Service says the radio frequency fields associated with the devices emit only a small fraction of the limits set by the Federal Communications Commission.
The report is based upon laboratory testing and field measurements of some wireless smart meters being used by Green Mountain Power and the Burlington Electric Department.
The report found the highest radio frequency field at just over three feet from a meter was 3.9 percent of the FCC’s limit.
It says a cordless phone reached about 1 percent of the limit, a microwave oven 6.5 percent, and a cellphone, 10.5 percent
Vermont utilities are hoping smart meters can help save electricity, but some are wary of the technology.

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Posted in Energy

Lawmakers push for more energy efficiency bills

Posted on January 22, 2013 by | Leave a comment

MONTPELIER — Pay a little to save a lot. That was the theory more than a decade ago when Vermont began taxing electric bills to pay for a statewide energy efficiency program that’s widely regarded as a big success.
Now, there’s a push to apply the same principle to home heating.
But the idea of taxing heating oil and other petroleum-based fuels to pay for tightening buildings to reduce the use of them is drawing opposition from business groups and wariness from many lawmakers.
A recent report from a task force assembled by the Department of Public Service estimated that to raise $30 million for expanded weatherization, programs would mean a tax on oil of about 12 cents per gallon.
But advocates say the savings for consumers could be much larger.

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Windham sheriff pushes for Newfane cell tower

Posted on January 7, 2013 by | Leave a comment

NEWFANE — A Vermont sheriff is lobbying the public in the town of Newfane to support construction of a new cell tower.
Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark says the 150-foot cell tower would also host his department’s emergency radio equipment.
The Brattleboro Reformer (http://bit.ly/117SiGg ) reports the department feels it needs a new tower at its Newfane Village headquarters. Clark says the proposal for the Newfane tower makes the most sense and would save taxpayers money.
The Springfield-based telecommunications company VTel wants to build the tower near the sheriff’s office on Jail Street as part of a state-supported and federally funded effort to expand wireless communication across the state.
A separate effort to erect a 130-foot cell tower in South Newfane upset some residents.

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Posted in Energy, Environment, Southern Vermont, Windham County

Russell Construction will build GMP innovation center

Posted on January 3, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Russell Construction Services will oversee the building of Green Mountain Power’s Energy Innovation Center in Rutland.
The utility announced Wednesday that Russell was chosen from almost a dozen bidding contractors.
The Rutland-based company will work with NBF Architects and GMP officials, developing a formal construction timeline and managing the budget, the subcontractor bid process and budget, safety and regulatory compliance at the site, and all day-to-day construction work.
The EIC, which is going in the former Eastman’s site on Merchants Row, will include office space, displays and interactive educational opportunities.  It will include a heat-pump system and solar generation, and will be accessible for tours.
Russell will begin working on the pre-construction planning process with NBF immediately, with a target date of March 1 to begin construction.
GMP expects to move to the new facility by Oct. 31.

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Posted in Business, Energy, Rutland

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