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New Haven planners eye solar farm project

Posted on June 24, 2010 |
By Kathryn Flagg



NEW HAVEN — The New Haven Planning Commission Tuesday afternoon began the process of weighing in on a proposal by Cross Pollination LLC to build a solar farm off Route 7.

Commissioners acknowledged in a draft letter to the Public Service Board (PSB) that while the company’s potential solar installation largely fits New Haven’s town plan, large questions remain about how the solar farm would be executed, operated and ultimately decommissioned.

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College nets $137K grant to retrofit campus buildings

Posted on June 24, 2010 |
By Andrea Suozzo



MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College last week received a grant of $137,000 to do thermal energy retrofits on three campus buildings.

The Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund announced the recipients of $1.7 million in grants on June 16. The college was among 14 public-serving institutions — defined as hospitals, colleges, universities and government buildings — in the state to receive a grant. The money comes from federal economic stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and was allocated to the institutions to encourage renewable energy and efficiency.

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New Haven tract on Route 7 eyed for major solar farm

Posted on June 10, 2010 |
By John Flowers



NEW HAVEN — A team of Winooski-based engineers is proposing to build one of the state’s largest solar farms on a 40-acre portion of a 180-acre parcel on the west side of Route 7, across from the Hill Top RV Center in New Haven.

The proposed project, on land owned by Albert and Gail Freyer, would feature 178 ground-mounted solar trackers with photovoltaic panels capable of harvesting enough energy to power 500 homes annually. It would also include an organic farm operation calling for sheep and goats to graze near the high-tech equipment.

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Lawmakers to let Current Use veto stand

Posted on June 3, 2010 |
By Kathryn Flagg



MONTPELIER — Legislative leaders will let stand Gov. James Douglas’ override of proposed changes to the “Current Use” program, opting against a special session of the Legislature in favor of designating the issue a top priority for next year.

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Moosalamoo area to mark 'National Trails Day' June 5

Posted on June 3, 2010 |
By Andrea Suozzo



GOSHEN — This Saturday, June 5, people across Addison County will take to the woods in celebration of National Trails Day.

In the 20,000-acre Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, visitors will find events designed to educate the public about the options available to them on the nearby trails, including bird-watching, hiking, biking and trail maintenance.

The celebration will be based at Blueberry Hill Inn and Cross Country Ski Center in Goshen. From there, groups will walk, caravan or carpool to trailheads for the day’s organized hikes and trail maintenance walks.

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Volunteers clean trail for its 100th birthday

Posted on May 24, 2010 |
By Andrea Suozzo



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HANCOCK — Work goes quickly when you have many hands.

On Saturday, May 15, trail maintenance volunteers on the Bread Loaf section of the Long Trail discovered the truth of that saying. The 16 workers spread out to clear fallen trees, branches and debris on five miles of trail, all the way from Route 125 at the top of the Middlebury Gap south to Worth Mountain. In under three hours, the trail was clear and the group was ready for lunch.

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Four Hills Farm plans cowpower

Posted on May 20, 2010 |
By Kathryn Flagg



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BRISTOL — One of Addison County’s largest farms has secured a $250,000 grant to put toward the construction of an on-farm methane digester to convert manure into electricity.

Bristol’s Four Hills Farm was received the grant from the Clean Energy Development Fund, which last week announced more than $3 million in grants and low-interest loans for 15 Vermont renewable energy projects.  

Brian Hill, who co-owns the farm with Kevin, Ronald and Joanne Hill, said the farmers have been considering installing a methane digester for about eight years.

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Citizens tally up species in monthly wildlife walks

Posted on May 20, 2010 |
By Andrea Suozzo



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MIDDLEBURY — It was early on a recent Thursday morning when eight people, armed with binoculars and guidebooks, gathered in the parking lot at Otter View Park in Middlebury, ears perked up for morning birdcalls.

The group was there for the monthly wildlife walk organized jointly by the Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) and the Otter Creek Audubon Society. The walks are two hours long, and starting with the May 13 walk, they will now begin at 7:30 a.m. for the summer season.

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Lawmakers tighten Current Use rules

Posted on May 17, 2010 |
By Kathryn Flagg



ADDISON COUNTY — Changes to the so-called “Current Use” program were still being debated at 11 p.m. last Wednesday night as lawmakers worked furiously toward adjournment, and the bill that slipped through in the final hours of the day was among the last OK’d before the General Assembly dispersed.

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Middlebury refines biomass energy plans

Posted on May 17, 2010 |
By John Flowers



MIDDLEBURY — A consultant and a local biomass study committee will look at the feasibility of carving Middlebury into five separate energy districts, with the concept of endowing each with a communal woodchip heating plant.

The study group, with the aid of a consultant and a combined total of $250,000 in state and federal funding, has been working since last year to see if Middlebury has the potential to establish one or more biomass plants to provide a cost-effective, renewable energy alternative for local businesses that now rely on imported fossil fuels for heating.

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