VNRC Disappointed with Yankee Ruling; Future of Plant Still Uncertain

In a much-anticipated decision, Judge Garvan Murtha, of the United States District Court of Vermont, ruled on January 19, 2012 that the State of Vermont is preempted by the Atomic Energy Act from enforcing legislation that would have compelled Vermont Yankee to shut down in March of 2012.

Energy Update from Under the Golden Dome Jan. 2012 - Second Edition

The Vermont Working Landscapes Partnership

The Vermont Council on Rural Development brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including VNRC, around shared goals of supporting local agriculture and forestry, growing and attracting farm and forest entrepreneurs, and conserving Vermont’s working landscape far into the future. The bipartisan initiative was officially launched at a January 11, 2012 press event where they announced legislation aimed at achieving those goals.

Energy Update from Under the Golden Dome January 2012

Brian Shupe on VNRC's Legislative Priorities

The Burlington Free Press' recent Green Mountain edition features environmental experts' priorities for the 2012 legislative session. VNRC's executive director, Brian Shupe, focuses on maintaining existing regulations around gravel removal, strengthening redevelopment of downtowns in flood-prone areas, and supporting Vermont's nationally recognized River Management Program.

Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy on XL Pipeline

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy recently wrote a letter to President Obama expressing strong opposition to the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline. He notes that Congress has tucked into a payroll tax bill approval for the pipeline. In the letter, Leahy says, "fossil fuels are finite, inefficient, and dirty. The cost we pay at the gas pump bears no resemblance to the long-term environmental and health costs borne by society as a whole.

Inventing Our Future

Weekly Planet by Elizabeth Courtney
This article first appeared in the Sunday, December 11th edition of the Times Argus/Rutland Herald:

Irene and the May floods have shaken our lives and our confidence—many have doubt and fear about the future. But what if we could prepare for what’s coming and ensure a smooth transition into its unknown by—well—inventing it?

Blume Brings Pure Energy at Fairlee Conference

I Believe: 'Place matters, but it also perplexes'

This essay was written by VNRC's sustainable communities program director, Kate McCarthy and was published in the Green Mountain section of the Burlington Free Press on December 4, 2011.
Caring deeply about where we live means the stakes are high — and highly personal — as we make choices about how to use our land, develop our economies and interact with our environment.

Register for the Energy and Climate Action Conference

Join VECAN Saturday, December 3rd — 9:00 am- 4:00 pm — the Lake Morey Inn in Fairlee, Vermont.
This daylong conference offers an unparalleled experience for town energy committee leaders, municipal officials, local and regional planners, and concerned citizens to learn new strategies and identify opportunities to reduce energy costs and tackle climate change.