vermont

solar energy inspiration?

The German program was an inspiration to the crafters of Vermont’s May, 2009 feed-in tariff law, the energy-generation lynchpin of the state’s plan to use 90% renewables by 2050.[read more]

Guy PageVermont has excellent prospects for strong and sustained economic growth and a high quality of life if it can fashion a more prudent energy policy.  This is a central conclusion in a recent report released by The New England Council, the nation’s oldest regional business organization.First, the good news.The report, Smart...[read more]

Some Vermont renewable energy policies and programs are the result of "constituent service" by ambitious legislators to enable the grabbing of as much federal subsidies as possible by Vermont and out-of-state renewables oligarchies, i.e., vendors, project developers, financial-types-selling-tax-shelter LLCs, i.e., the top 1% of...[read more]

Comments on the Comprehensive Energy PlanThe Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) has issued a draft Comprehensive Energy Plan for Vermont, and they have opened it for public comment. This document covers all types of energy use in Vermont: home heating, transportation, electricity. It is the document Governor Shumlin wanted:...[read more]

   Yesterday, Vermont Governor Peter Shumulin appeared on Democracy Now to talk about the effect of Hurricane Irene on his Green Mountain State. Twice in the interview, he used the words irrational, but throughout the interview he and his interviewer were remarkably illogical.Though many parts of his state were being...[read more]

Bernie Sanders and Small Modular Reactors Senator Bernie Sanders often speaks about his opposition to Vermont Yankee as having something to do with the age of the plant, the fact it is owned by Entergy, or his "state's rights" stance about regulating nuclear power plants.Recently, however, Sanders made it clear that he is against nuclear...[read more]

I recently recorded a 45 minute slide show about Vermont's Energy Future. I had been meaning to do this for a long time. I want to thank the people at CATV studio of White River Junction for their work and patience in recording this, and Cavan Stone for his thoughtful editing. I hope you enjoy it!The show covers Vermont Yankee issues...[read more]

The Green Mountain Power 63 MW Lowell Mountain wind turbine facility with (21) 3 MW Danish, Vestas V-112 wind turbines, 367.5-ft (112 m) rotor diameter, 275.6-ft (84 m) hub height, total height (275.6 + 367.5/2) = 459.3 ft, stretched along about 3.5 miles on 2,600 ft high ridge lines, has nothing to do with community-scale wind,...[read more]

Over the past several months, a thought has been at the back of my mind about nuclear safety. I feel is important to enter this issue into the ongoing discussion about Nuclear Power in our country.[read more]

This morning, Entergy filed suit to keep the Vermont Yankee plant open by requiring Vermont to honor its signed contracts. The State of Vermont signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Entergy in 2002. The State has attempted to amend that contract on a one-sided basis. Entergy's lawsuit was described in a Burlington Free Press...[read more]

Vermont Yankee Might Close, and Vermont Was DesperateAs I pointed in in a recent post, in previous power agreements with Hydro-Québec (HQ), Vermont took 10% of HQ power, and in return, gave HQ 40% of its profits. Not good for Vermont.New power agreements with HQ were announced this year. Are they better? No. They were deals struck by...[read more]

The high cost of closing the reactor will be keenly felt in the state’s economyVermont Governor-elect Peter Shumlin (right) must have woken up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night over the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor.In troubled sleep, the newly elected top state official might have seen the size of the electric...[read more]

This morning, Howard Shaffer wrote an excellent post at the ANS Nuclear Cafe blog: Vermont's nuclear debate, continued. In Howard's blog post, he mentioned the real-time debate/discussion that we had on the Walking Through Life local access television show about a week ago. This show, hosted by Linda Carbino, often deals with issues of...[read more]

With Vermont’s governor-elect, Peter Shumlin (D.)—the self-described number one opponent of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant—picking his cabinet and maintaining a high profile, the struggle continues unabated by the plant’s proponents who want to keep it from being shut down. Vermont Energy and the Climate Action Conference On...[read more]

Election is Over! Thank Heavens!And I think I can speak for many when I say I thought the campaign would never end. It's been negative. Very negative.Shumlin Won.Oh yeah. It's over and Peter Shumlin won the race for governor. Did I mention that?Peter Shumlin stated, over and over, that he was against Vermont Yankee being relicensed....[read more]