The governor said he initially was skeptical about the need for a new commission, but concluded it might help develop a consensus on climate change and approaches to it.
Mike Polhamus
Mike Polhamus writes about energy and the environment for VTDigger. He formerly covered Teton County and the state of Wyoming for the Jackson Hole News & Guide, in Jackson, Wyoming. He now lives in Waterbury. Polhamus studied at Southwestern Oregon Community College, University of Oxford and Sarah Lawrence College. His research has been commissioned on a variety of topics such as malnutrition and HIV, economic development, and Plato’s Phaedo. Polhamus hails originally from the state of Oregon.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @Mike_VTD
Weyerhaeuser settles tax fight with state for $375,000 over forest clear cuts
Loggers cut more trees than allowed on a parcel where the company got a tax break meant to protect forestlands. The settlement avoids a court ruling that could have cost Weyerhaeuser much more.
Pond rule change could favor lawyer’s power boat over rowers
“We’re in constant conflict with them,” Sarah George, a state’s attorney, said of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center rowers and scullers she hopes to restrict on a pond she uses.
State regulators investigate Vermont Gas pipeline burial depth
The Public Utility Commission is trying to determine whether the pipeline was buried deep enough in Addison County.
Administration rebuffed on call to cut energy efficiency funds
The Public Utility Commission’s order says continuing the same level of investment will save money for all utility customers in the long run.
Alleged attempt at chain saw justice may cap long legal battle
Herman LeBlanc is accused of cutting up his neighbor’s boathouse, which he claims was built illegally. Besides the threat of prison, he could lose his home this week to the neighbor he’s long fought.
Utility board to review how it does business
The Vermont Public Service Board will examine whether its regulatory processes are right for a changed world.
Vermont utility regulatory panel gets new name
The Public Service Board will get a new name July 1, when it will become Vermont’s Public Utility Commission. The board is a three-person quasi-judicial body that regulates the state’s utility providers, including electric, gas, telecommunications and private water companies. The board also oversees regulations on new and existing energy plants, such as hydroelectric dams, […]
Neighbors fault state for lax quarry regulation
“I’m disappointed in the state of Vermont for not enforcing this. It makes me feel helpless,” says quarry neighbor Suzanne Smith.
State: Pipeline closer to surface than ordered, but still safe
Vermont Gas Systems deviated from its permit by burying the line as little as 3 feet deep, says the Department of Public Service. The DPS says it meets safety standards but wants to know what happened.
Decision on turbine noise rules delayed as PSB bends
The Public Service Board has offered to ditch a requirement that turbines be a certain distance from homes. The board suggested it would defer to concerns raised by lawmakers and others.
Power import plan runs into grid capacity limits
A plan to bring electricity through Vermont to southern New England is hitting a snag: There isn’t enough room on the grid. That could require in-state renewable generators like Lowell to cut output.
Judge: Recreation, profit not part of Green River Dam equation
Some call the ruling a blow to the village’s efforts to continue managing the dam — and the popular reservoir behind it — the same as in the past.
With $1 million raised, land protection at Exit 4 to be complete
“There were times … when it felt like we were a long, long way to $1 million,” said Paul Bruhn, of the Preservation Trust of Vermont. The group faced a deadline this month to buy the land from a developer.
