Political crystal ball
A visit from Tibet
Rusty looks to November and makes a prediction for the presidential election ...
Lama makes a trip to Vermont and stops in Springfield.
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MONTPELIER — AARP Vermont launched a statewide campaign to recover $21 million owed to ratepayers of Central Vermont Public Service Jan. 18. The pro-liberal senior citizen advocacy group has formally intervened in the pending merger of Green Mountain Power and CVPS. AARP officials said they intervened in December and filed testimony with the Vermont Public Service Board. The matter will be considered by the board in the coming months. Eleven years ago, the financial viability of CVPS was severely threatened due to what the PSB deemed “imprudent” contracts with Hydro Quebec. Consequently, the board imposed a special rate increase on CVPS customers with a windfall provision stating that ratepayers must be paid back $21 million should CVPS ever become financially healthy enough to merge or be sold. Essentially, the board treated the rate increase as a loan from ratepayers and ruled that shareholders should not profit from what amounted to a forced emergency loan from customers. “This windfall provision is clearly triggered by the merger and we are working to ensure that ratepayers receive a check in the mail or an immediate refund on their electric bill,” said AARP’s Greg Marchildon. Marchildon said that rolling the refund into projected merger savings over time, as proposed by utility officials, is inadequate. He stressed that AARP does not oppose the merger itself, but only wants to ensure customers recover their funds from a decade ago.
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January 28, 2012 AARP wants CVPS to give $21 million back to ratepayers
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Hinesburg Public Safety Facility vote on horizon By Lou Varricchio newmarketpress@denpubs.com
Public hearing set for Feb. 9
Future plan: Hinesburg voters will decide on the town’s $2.9 million Public Safety Building Project plan bond at Town Meeting Day March 6.
HINESBURG — Voters here will decide on the town’s $2.9 million Public Safety Building Project plan bond at Town Meeting Day March 6. The article facing voters will include a facility totaling 14,993 square feet in the central part of the village. Town officials and residents have been tussling over the plans since last year. Reflecting a trend in several progressive communities in Vermont in recent years, the plan proposes to expand the fire station and bring the police department under one roof. Called the Hinesburg Public Safety Facility, the structure would also include a spacious community room. According to Rocky Martin, Buildings and Facilities director for the Town of Hinesburg, the proposed community room would be “roughly the size of the Main Hall in the town offices.” See PUBLIC SAFETY, page 10
A victory for nuclear power U.S. judge rules in favor of Vermont Yankee
Murtha ruled that the U.S. Atomic Energy Act preempts state and local laws. “Plaintiffs have demonstrated they would be irreparably harmed by Vermont Yankee’s closure under preempted laws if Defendants enforced Act 160, or the preempted provision in Act 74, or if Defendants conditioned approval of a petition for continued operation on the existence of a below-market power purchase agreement with Vermont utilities,” Murtha ruled. “Entergy has not been a trustworthy partner with the state of Vermont,” Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) said in a statement following Murtha’s ruling. But at least one state official was pleased with the judge’s decision. Vermont State Auditor Tom Salmon (R) said that the state’s decisive loss in the Vermont Yankee case was predictable and very costly to Vermont taxpayers. “It is my hope that Gov. Shumlin, Attorney See VERMONT YANKEE, page 10
By Lou Varricchio
newmarketpress@denpubs.com BRATTLEBORO — The Shumlin administration and the anti-nuclear movement in New England was dealt a major setback with a federal judge’s ruling Jan. 20. U.S. District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha ruled that Entergy, the Louisiana-based operator of Vermont’s sole atomic power plant, is permitted to continue operating the Vermont Yankee power plant past March 21; the state had hoped it would get its way and shut down the plant on that date. According to the judge’s ruling, Vermont Acts 74 and 160 were struck down in the case. The judge said that Entergy is not required to ask the Vermont General Assembly permission to store waste on site.
A pro-nuclear power poster displayed around Vermont during the recent federal court hearing. Image courtesy of SVY
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