Douglas vetoes Yankee decommissioning bill

May 8, 2008

MONTPELIER — Gov. Jim Douglas vetoed a bill that could have required Vermont Yankee to boost its commitment to the nuclear power plant’s decommissioning fund, saying he was protecting Vermont’s electric costs.

Those who supported the bill, however, said the measure would have protected Vermonters against long-term costs associated with the plant’s eventual closure.

Legislators who supported the bill wanted the plant’s owner to be held to a higher shutdown standard than is included in the 2002 Public Service Board agreement with Entergy. That agreement allows for waste to be contained at the plant for up to 60 years, during which the decommissioning fund would be expected to grow with interest. Symington called that time frame “ludicrous.”

“That was clearly a bad deal,” said Paul Burns, executive director of Vermont Public Interest Research Group. “What’s wrong with improving the situation if it’s going to be sold?”

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Middlebury students to host climate change conference

April 16, 2008

MIDDLEBURY ― College and high school students from across Vermont will come to Middlebury College starting Saturday for the Power Shift Vermont Youth Climate Conference.

Power Shift Vermont will focus on empowering and educating Vermont youth with the tools they need to take action on the climate crisis and find solutions. The conference includes a weekend of events followed by a trip to Montpelier on Monday to lobby lawmakers for strong legislation aimed at combating climate change.

Over the weekend students will also prepare to lobby legislators at the Statehouse in Montpelier with the help of Johanna Miller of the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) and James Moore of Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG). On their trip to Montpelier, students will rally at the Statehouse at 10 a.m. in support of the Vermont Senate bill S.350, which cuts Vermont carbon emissions at least 75 percent by 2050. They will also advocate for the creation of a green jobs program in Vermont and encourage renewable energy and sustainability in all sectors, including heating and transportation. They will meet with lawmakers throughout the day to discuss these issues.

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Yankee review heavily debated

April 16, 2008

MONTPELIER — Federal regulators said Tuesday they will consider expanding the scope of their inspection of the Vermont Yankee facility in Vernon, but lawmakers and advocates said the promise does not ensure an adequate review of the 36-year-old nuclear plant.

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Report: Global Warming Pollution Drops in Vt

Montpelier, Vermont - March 26, 2008

A new report finds global warming pollution has dropped in Vermont and across New England.

Activists say it's a good sign. They credit lower transportation emissions and people using less heating fuel. It's a trend environmentalists want to see continued. They're asking the state to encourage more public transportation. And they want a voluntary pledge to decrease emissions 25-percent by 2012 made mandatory.

"This is the beginning potentially of a good trend but we're not going to continue to reduce our global warming pollution by hoping it is going to happen or by talking about it happening. We need action," says James Moore of VPIRG.

"Today's youth considers global warming to be the greatest challenge facing our generation-- global warming threatens the economy, environment and general quality of life in Vermont...

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Entergy Corp. feeling legislative heat

March 15, 2008

MONTPELIER -- Hundreds of bills filtered through the Statehouse this week as the legislative session reached its midpoint, but no topic was the focus of more of them than Vermont Yankee.

Four bills zeroed in on issues surrounding the Vernon nuclear power plant, including two coming out of committees Friday. At least one more might be coming from legislators who question the plant's physical and financial safety.

The scrutiny comes as the Legislature gears up for a vote next year on whether the plant should be allowed to continue operating beyond 2012, when the plant will be 40 years old and its license expires.

"As somebody said yesterday, at the Vermont Statehouse we have the Vermont Yankee channel 24 hours a day," said Brian Cosgrove, spokesman for Vermont Yankee. Though he was joking, he finds the legislation no laughing matter.

"It's reasonable for a thinking Vermonter to conclude that at least some of the goals would make it difficult to relicense Vermont Yankee," Cosgrove said.

That would be fine with some supporters of the bills. "I think they all point to the problem Vermont's facing with an aging nuclear power plant," said James Moore, energy policy coordinator for Vermont Public Interest Group.

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Douglas seeks independent review of Yankee

March 13, 2008

MONTPELIER -- Gov. Jim Douglas decided Wednesday to jump-start the process to have an independent assessment of the safety and reliability of the Entergy Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant rather than wait for lawmakers to pass a bill detailing the scope for such an evaluation.

Senators, meanwhile, voted 24-3 Wednesday to give preliminary approval to a bill that sets out the scope of the review they would like to see. The bill calls for the Department of Public Service to select an independent team of experts to conduct a detailed audit of the plant -- an evaluation that could cost the plant as much as $25 million.

James Moore of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group counters that before the Legislature or the Vermont Public Service Board considers whether Vermont Yankee should stay open past 2012, "the plant deserves a top-to-bottom look." He argued that the Senate bill didn't go far enough.

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VT Senate wants detailed inspection of nuclear plant

Wednesday March 12, 2008
Montpelier, Vt.

(Host) The Vermont Senate has called for a detailed inspection of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. Lawmakers say they need the independent inspection before they vote on whether to extend the plant's license for another 20 years.

VPR's John Dillon reports.

...(Dillon) But the Vermont Public Interest Research Group says the legislation falls short. James Moore is the group's energy expert.

(Moore) We commend the Senate for doing the work that they did on this bill. However, it doesn't go far enough. It looks at approximately 15% of the Vermont Yankee facility. And Vermonters deserve to have the entire facility looked at.

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Lawmakers call for review of Vermont Yankee safety

March 1, 2008

MONTPELIER -- A Senate committee wants to require an independent review of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, with oversight by a panel appointed by the Legislature.

The Senate Finance Committee passed a bill this week that would require a "vertical audit" of the plant before the state decides whether the plant should continue operation beyond its current license, which expires in 2012.

James Moore, energy policy coordinator for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, said his group would like to see a more in-depth review. "We think if this facility is going to continue past the closing date in 2012 it should have a top to bottom, inside out look," he said. "That's a small price to pay."

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Light Bulb Warning

Montpelier, Vermont - February 25, 2008

Lots of people are buying compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs. But some environmental advocates are concerned about how people get rid of them if they break. That's because they contain small amounts of mercury.

"When the bulbs are broken that mercury vapor can be released into a home and it's obviously never a good idea to be exposed to mercury in your home. That is the primary concern," explains Charity Carbine of the Vt. Public Interest Research Group.

A study released Monday by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that mercury released by a broken CFL can pose a health risk. It issued guidelines for cleaning it up safely.

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VT Edition Interview: Steve Wark, Bob Young & James Moore on Vermont's energy future

Friday February 15, 2008

Montpelier, VT-- What should be the key elements of Vermont's energy future? More reliance on renewable sources, a new contract with Hydro Quebec, a contract extension for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant or perhaps a new natural gas fired facility in Chittenden County? Those are some of the questions VPR's Bob Kinzel had for Steve Wark from the Public Service Department, Bob Young, president of the Central Vermont Public Service Corporation and James Moore, energy specialist at the Vermont Public Interest Research Group

Listen to interview here

House passes new version of last year's energy bill

February 14, 2008

MONTPELIER – The Vermont House on Wednesday passed by a massive margin a new version of the energy bill shot down last year by Gov. James Douglas' veto.

But the Murphy's Law of legislating remained in place: If lawmakers make compromises to gain support on one side, they risk loosing the bill on the other.

So while the House version of the bill offered the Douglas administration some compromises compared to last year's measure, it may run into trouble when it heads back to the Senate, where those compromises might not be popular. And some renewable energy advocates were lukewarm in their support of the House version, at best.

(...)Advocates of wind power development said the bill, in fact, doesn't go far enough to encourage such alternative energy. The problem, they said, is the establishment of a minimum tax on wind projects based on their top potential capacity, whether they are running or not. If the turbines were running, the tax would be based on actual production.

That could especially be a problem for small and mid-sized projects of one or two turbines, such as might be put up by a town or village, said James Moore of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

"For that community, it could effectively triple their tax" if the turbines were not operating, Moore said.

The bill does not move far enough fast enough on implementing the new efficiency programs either, and gives too much say to the administration in how they are structured, Moore said.
More importantly, however, is the realization in the Statehouse that Vermonters want such a program, Moore said.

"Republicans, Democrats and Progressives all recognize that Vermonters want renewable energy and want help reducing their heating bills" he said.

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Power suppliers hope to have contracts by end of year

Wednesday January 9, 2008

MONTPELIER, Vt.

(Host) As the Vermont Legislature sets an ambitious agenda on energy issues, many of the ultimate decisions on where our power comes from in the future will be made by Vermont's utilities. The state's two major power companies are negotiating new contracts with Hydro Quebec and Vermont Yankee. They hope to have both contracts signed by the end of the year.

(Dillon) A leading environmental group says it's irresponsible for Douglas not to plan ahead for Yankee's shutdown in 2012. James Moore is an energy specialist with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

(Moore) ``We've known for a long time that Vermont Yankee's license to operate ends in 2012. It's an old facility. It's 40 years old at that point.So the fact that the governor hasn't been planning for any kind of alternatives is disappointing, to say the least. And we're going to be looking to the legislature, and the governor, to step up, and start planning for the future that we know is around the corner.''

(Dillon) Moore and other environmentalists say the state can replace Vermont Yankee through investments in renewable energy, and energy efficiency. He says any short term gap can be filled by buying power in the market.

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Friction eases on energy legislation, but will it last?

January 7, 2008

MONTPELIER -- Rep. Robert Dostis sat down with Gov. Jim Douglas last month and talked about energy efficiency. Down the street, energy consultants hired by legislative leaders huddled with Douglas administration staff.

The significance? No such meetings of the mind were happening last legislative session as debate over creating an energy-efficiency program erupted into political warfare, reaching a crescendo in June with a gubernatorial veto. The Democratic-controlled Legislature and Republican governor could not agree on the scope of a program to make Vermont homes and businesses more energy efficient or how to pay for it.

Since the Legislature last met in July, the price of heating fuel has climbed. Meanwhile, in October, the Governor's Climate Change Commission listed expanding the state's electric efficiency program to all fuels as one of its top recommendations.

Some say those factors leave Douglas no choice but to accept the energy legislation. "His position has shifted," said Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. "He's willing to embrace the fundamental concept of an energy-efficiency utility."

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2007 Year in Review: Business

Friday December 28, 2007

Colchester, VT

(Host) We return to our review of the top stories of 2007.

(Delaney) But nuclear power skeptics said the incident was just one more crack in Vermont Yankee's claim that all is well at the old plant, in spite of a 20 percent boost in power output last year. Among the critics, James Moore of VPIRG, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

(Moore) "This incident calls into question all of the claims that Entergy Nuclear has made about the plant's clean bill of health, and that it's operating like new.''

(Delaney) The revived argument over safety at Vermont Yankee would sputter along for months, and at year's end the NRC scolded the company over the tower collapse. But the effort to secure a 20-year license extension goes on.

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VPIRG argues for Vermont Yankee tax

December 12, 2007

MONTPELIER – The Vermont Public Interest Research Group, which advocates for more renewable energy production in the state and greater investment in efficiency, is urging lawmakers to increase taxes on the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.

According to a new VPIRG report Tuesday, the nuclear plant pays less in taxes per kilowatt hour of electricity produced toward education than other power producers, including renewable power generators. That favors the nuclear plant over generation of sources like wind and solar, according to those who wrote the VPIRG report.

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Read VPIRG report

Report: Nuclear power paying less in tax

December 12, 2007

MONTPELIER -- The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant pays significantly less in state education taxes than generators of other kinds of electric power, according to a report issued Tuesday by a renewable energy advocate.

The Vermont Public Interest Research Group examined the taxes paid by nuclear, wood, hydro and wind power generators, and discovered that the lone generator of commercial-scale wind paid 10 times as much as nuclear. Hydro generators paid five times as much, and wood generators paid three times as much, the report says.

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Read VPIRG report

VPIRG Says Vermont Yankee Should Pay More

Montpelier, Vermont - December 11, 2007

An advocacy group says the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon is not paying its fair share of taxes to the state.

Vermont Public Interest Research Group conducted a study comparing property taxes paid to the kilowatt hours generated by more than forty electric generating facilities in Vermont. VPIRG argues that Yankee's tax per kilowatt hour ratio is significantly lower than the rate paid by wind, hydro, and wood generating facilities. The research group believes that a generation-based tax would level the playing field -- by requiring all generators to pay similar rates.

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Read VPIRG report

Governor's Strategy to Combat Climate Change

Burlington, Vermont - November 20, 2007

"I'm pleased to announce that the state will partner with the (University of Vermont) and other higher education institutions to form the Vermont Climate Collaborative," said Gov. Jim Douglas, R-Vermont.

Douglas says partnering with UVM and other colleges will spawn research into renewable energy sources, and help the state create an entire economic sector based on green jobs.

But many listening to the Governor's announcement criticize the plan for lacking solid, attainable goals.

James Moore of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group called the proposal nothing but "hot air."

"You have to earn those carbon credits and there was nothing today proposed that's actually going to allow the state to earn carbon credits," said Moore.

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Gov. Douglas Plans to fight Climate Change

November 20, 2007

Gov. Douglas announced his plans regarding climate change.

Watch video

Douglas's climate change proposal panned by environmentalists

Tuesday November 20, 2007

Colchester, VT (Host) Vermont absorbs so much carbon that Governor Douglas says we should sell "carbon credits." He says Vermont could make money by selling the credits to industries that pollute. But as VPR's Ross Sneyd reports, some environmental advocates say it's a vague response to climate change.

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Document questions safety of Vermont Yankee

Thursday, November 15

The Vermont Public Interest Research Group and the Citizen’s Awareness Network released a document Thursday at the Pilgrim Plant in Plymouth, Mass. The document questions the safety of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant and a new plan to manage safety operations at both Yankee and Pilgrim. NECN’s Anya Huneke has the latest.

Watch video here (requires Flash Player)

Massachusetts nuke workers question Vermont Yankee operation

November 15, 2007

MONTPELIER (AP)- Vermont Public Interest Research Group released a document Thursday that shows workers at a Massachusetts nuclear plant don't want to be associated with the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant because of concerns about how it is run.

Meanwhile, the Douglas administration has joined the state's congressional delegation in calling for an independent safety assessment of the Vernon reactor.

VPIRG's clean energy advocate, James Moore, said he discovered the two-month old document while searching through files of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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Vermonters talk energy

November 5, 2007

BURLINGTON -- For legislators in Vermont, it's not so easy being green.

Vermont has the lowest carbon footprint and one of the most aggressive energy efficiency programs in the nation, and more than two-thirds of the state's electricity comes from contracts with the Entergy-owned Vermont Yankee nuclear plant and Hydro-Quebec in Canada. Those contracts are set to expire -- in 2012 and 2015, respectively -- leaving Vermont's energy future wide open for consideration.

Rep. Robert Dostis, D-Waterbury, chairman of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee and a member of the Joint Energy Committee, said legislation passed last year directed the Public Service Department to develop a public engagement process regarding Vermont's energy future, to encourage Vermonters to examine and make recommendations on ways to meet Vermont's electricity options over the next five to 10 years.

That's why more than 200 Vermonters gathered this weekend on the campus of the University of Vermont to participate in the state-sponsored Deliberative Polling Event on Vermont's Energy Future, the culmination of a series of workshops designed to educate the public about energy in Vermont. Combined, the studies constitute the largest energy sampling ever conducted in the United States, said Stephen Wark, consumer affairs director for the Public Service Department.

"Public policy here in Vermont does drive the marketplace," added James Moore, clean energy advocate for the nonprofit Vermont Public Interest Research Group. "And they're paying attention to what you all think."

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Aging nuclear plant raises questions about life without it

November 4, 2007

MONTPELIER — A cooling tower that collapsed suddenly, leaving a pipe pouring thousands of gallons of water on a pile of rubble. An unplanned shutdown caused by a stuck valve nine days later. A scheduled retirement looming.

Taken together, the recent problems at Vermont Yankee nuclear plant have some wondering: Where would Vermont be without Vermont Yankee?

"For the average Vermonter, little to nothing would change," said James Moore, energy advocate with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. "It shuts down on a regular basis, both planned and unplanned outages, and our lights don't go out."

Moore and other Vermont Yankee critics point to this month's report from the Governor's Commission on Climate Change, which said that aggressive deployment of renewable generation could save almost as much in carbon emissions as Vermont Yankee does.

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Scores rally for action on climate change

November 5, 2007

MONTPELIER — Scores of people gathered on the Statehouse steps Saturday to push for local solutions to climate change caused by global warming and urged the Douglas administration to do more.

As a band played, people ate apple pie and ice cream, and some waved flags promoting what they say was the need to do more to stop global warming.

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Sanders votes against global warming bill

November 2, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Bernie Sanders voted Thursday to oppose a sweeping global warming bill because he does not believe it is strong enough to prevent catastrophic climate change by the middle of this century.

"This bill is in fact a step forward, but we have a very long way to go to produce a bill that will truly reduce global warming and reflect what the scientific community tells us needs to be done," the independent senator said after the vote by a key Senate panel.

Sanders' vote to oppose the bill drew praise from the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

"Senators Lieberman and Warner deserve credit for pushing action on global warming, but Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders deserves the highest praise for not supporting the bill, which does more to support corporate welfare than it does to reduce global warming pollution," the group said in a written statement Thursday.

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Senate to Mother Earth: Sorry, Mom

Seven Days Blogs: Freyne Land
Thursday, November 01, 2007

Word from Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' office that the subcommittee Ol' Bernardo sits on on the Environment and Public Works Committee that handles global warming approved on a 4-3 vote today "a global warming bill that Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) opposed because it would not reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as much as scientists say is necessary to stop catastrophic changes in Earth’s climate.

As Paul Burns over at the Vermont Public Interest Research Group pointed out to yours truly, "Bernie actually proposed nine different amendments to strengthen the bill, one of which was accepted. Most of the others were defeated 5-2 or on a voice vote. It's really true that no one in the Senate (perhaps the US gov't) is doing more than Bernie Sanders to fight global warming."

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Sanders votes against global warming bill

Thursday November 1, 2007
Colchester, VT

(Host) Senator Bernie Sanders has voted against a global warming bill - and environmental leaders are praising him.

Both the senator and the environmentalists say the bill doesn't go nearly far enough.

Sanders says the version that was approved by a subcommittee of the Senate's environmental panel would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by no more than 63% over the next 40 years.
He held out for legislation that would have reduced the heat-trapping emissions by 80% by 2050.

The Vermont Public Interest Research Group supports Sanders' position. James Moore is VPIRG's clean energy advocate. He says industry would get too much from the bill and consumers wouldn't get enough.

(Moore) "It's a half measure that gives too much money to existing fossil fuel industries like the oil companies and the coal companies, who are making record profits as is and certainly shouldn't be benefiting...

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Governor's panel lays out energy-efficiency road map

October 27, 2007

MONTPELIER -- The Governor's Commission on Climate Change called for increased energy efficiency, greater use of renewable energy, more public transit and a collaboration with the state's colleges to foster research and try to attract environmental jobs, among other items, as it issues its final report Friday.

James Moore, clean energy advocate for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group who served on the advisory group, said he was pleased to see the commission keep intact the advisory group's recommendations. "The question that remains is whether or not our governor will recognize the report or sweep it under the rug," Moore said.

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Climate panel submits report

October 27, 2007

MONTPELIER — The commission charged with finding how the state should reduce its contribution to global climate change — and profit from concerns worldwide about the issue — released its final report Friday calling for more energy efficiency, renewable energy development and the creation of an alliance between the state, nonprofit groups and Vermont's colleges and universities.

The commission called in its report for the expansion of the efficiency efforts begun by the state's electrical efficiency program to other fuels, and for more renewable energy to be developed in the state.

That means commercial scale wind power, the cheapest way to develop such projects within Vermont's borders, said James Moore of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

"You have got to have wind in Vermont as part of our electricity future," said Moore, who added that the report "comes on the same day as oil prices hit a new record high and Vermonters are turning on their furnaces for the winter."

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Vt. climate change group urges use of renewable energy

Governor's commission completes two-year climate change report






Saturday, October 27

MONTPELIER -- A governor's commission charged with making recommendations on how to curb greenhouse gas emissions recommended that the state expand energy efficiency programs, support renewable energy and team up with its colleges and universities to develop a "green economy" in Vermont.

Renewable energy advocate James Moore of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group called the report a "road map to support our economy and reduce global warming pollution at the same time." But he said his group would act as a watchdog to see if the governor takes the recommendations and actually acts on them.

He said the first recommendation is for an all-fuels utility that will help Vermonters reduce heating and electricity bill, which the governor vetoed in the last legislative session.

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Commission on Climate Change releases detailed plan

Friday October 26, 2007
Montpelier, Vt.

(Host) After almost two years of work, the Governor's Commission on Climate Change has laid out a detailed plan for how Vermont can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% in five years.

The commission met today for the final time and handed its report to Governor Jim Douglas. The panel's recommendations range from expanding energy conservation programs to creating a center for climate change within state government.

James Moore is an energy specialist with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. He says the technical data in the report shows that the most cost-effective way to cut greenhouse gas pollution is by reducing energy demand.

(Moore) "Where the rubber is going to meet the road is clearly if the governor is going to take the commission's recommendations to heart, he needs to change his tune, support more energy efficiency...

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Former Gov. Salmon calls for new power contracts

Former governor warns state must act on power needs





October 2, 2007
MONTPELIER, Vt. --Former Gov. Tom Salmon is calling on the state to push for the re-licensing of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant and work toward a new long-term contract with Hydro-Quebec.

James Moore of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group disagreed with Salmon's assessment of the need for Vermont Yankee."A number of studies have recently shown that Vermont's economic future would be stronger without reliance on Vermont Yankee," said Moore. "The Vermont Council on Rural Development recently outlined how, relying on in-state renewable resources will generate more than enough electricity as well as 6,000 Vermont-based jobs. Then we are not relying on an aging, dirty facility."

Read full AP article
Read full Times Argus /Rutland Herald article

VY tower collapse leads to calls for further safety review

Tuesday, August 28

BRATTLEBORO -- A press release from unions representing nuclear power plant workers at Vermont Yankee and Pilgrim Station has prompted one local anti-nuclear group to request an independent safety assessment of the nuclear power plant in Vernon.

"There are serious issues of public safety surrounding the Vermont Yankee dispute," wrote Gary Sullivan, president of Utility Workers Union of America Local 369, which represents workers at Entergy's Pilgrim power plant in Plymouth, Mass., in a press release dated Aug. 23. "We cannot allow one bad corporate apple and corporate greed to create a global risk."

"What is very clear from the union's press release is that there are safety concerns at Vermont Yankee that have not made it out to the public," said James Moore, clean energy advocate for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. "We would hope that the employees have public safety first and foremost in their minds, but we have serious concerns that Entergy Corporation is cutting corners to increase their profits, potentially at the risk of millions of people who live in the area surrounding Vermont Yankee."

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Officials rule out Yankee sabotage

Aug 24, 2007

VERNON — A special investigator with the Homeland Security division of the Vermont State Police went to Vermont Yankee earlier this week and ruled out sabotage or terrorism in the unexpected collapse of a portion of the plant's cooling towers.

Kerry Sleeper, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said the state also wanted an "independent assessment" about the basic facts of the collapse. Sleeper said he had conferred with Gov. James Douglas' office before sending in the special investigator.

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Nuclear plant damage is worse than reported

August 24, 2007

A cooling tower structure at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant that partially collapsed Tuesday underwent a full inspection as recently as this spring and was found to be in good condition, a company spokesman said Thursday.

"It was determined acceptable for continued operation," said Rob Williams, spokesman for plant owner Entergy Nuclear.

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Vt. Yankee problem to hurt rate payers

August 23, 2007

MONTPELIER — The failure of a cooling tower at Vermont Yankee nuclear plant could mean higher electricity bills for consumers, officials said Wednesday.

Central Vermont Public Service Corp. and Green Mountain Power Corp., the two biggest buyers of Vermont Yankee power, said it was too early to know if they will seek rate hikes to compensate for having to buy power from other, more expensive sources because of the Vermont Yankee problem.

"Vermont Yankee telling us that the plant is running like new is like a hair dresser telling you that you look twenty years younger. It's nice to hear, but far from the truth," said James Moore, energy advocate for Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

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Wind turbine OK brings hope in Vt

August 20, 2007

BURLINGTON (AP) — State regulators' approval of 16 wind turbines in Sheffield has dispelled some developers' worries that no big wind turbines would be approved on the state's mountaintops and offered a guide through the state's review process.

"The order sets a really high bar for developers to meet, but it lays out all the hoops you need to jump through," said James Moore, a renewable energy advocate for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

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The Way to Wind

August 19, 2007

When the state Public Service Board granted permission this month for 16 big wind turbines atop a ridge in Sheffield, the three regulators did more than approve Vermont's first commercial wind development in 10 years.

They also dispelled some developers' fear that no mountaintop project involving 400-foot-tall structures could ever win a permit."The order sets a really high bar for developers to meet, but it lays out all the hoops you need to jump through," said James Moore, clean-energy advocate for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

The decision came as a relief to Moore and other renewable-energy advocates.

Moore, the VPIRG advocate, and Andrew Perchlik at the Renewable Energy Vermont advocacy group say wind development faces another challenge.

UPC won a permit, but one that came with 32 conditions after many years and large expense. That's too long, too expensive, too arduous, the advocates said, and is likely to encourage big projects built by out-of-state companies. Local entrepreneurs and Vermont towns interested in a little energy independence might be shut out, they said.

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Wind Project Approved

August 8, 2007

UPC Wind plans to start building 16 towers next summer in Sheffield. They will each be around 420 feet tall and provide enough energy to serve over 15-thousand homes.

"We are really pleased that the Public Service Board has recognized the economic and environmental benefits of wind power to Vermonters," said Matt Kearns with UPC Wind.

The road to approval has been rocky and emotional. Opponents remain worried about noise, and the visual impacts.

"We've seen wind projects permitted in New Hampshir