AGP Executive Report

Power & Climate Policy: A coalition of more than 20 Democratic attorneys general sued the U.S. EPA over its repeal of Biden-era power plant emissions rules, arguing the rollback violates the Clean Air Act and could cut protections for coal, oil and gas generators. Generic Drug Antitrust: Vermont’s neighboring states are moving toward court approval of a $400 million settlement with Sandoz and Fougera over alleged generic drug price-fixing and reduced competition, with consumers urged to file claims for covered purchases. Solar + Agriculture Innovation: A Vermont couple’s “solar grazing” model has scaled from 30 sheep to 500 sheep managing vegetation across 1,500 acres of solar sites in the Northeast, offering a lower-risk alternative to mechanical mowing. Affordable Housing Geothermal: Vermont Gas is helping a new Hinesburg development by paying for underground geothermal ground-loop infrastructure, easing upfront costs for low- and moderate-income renters and owners. Vermont Business & Energy Efficiency: Vermont State University won an Efficiency Vermont impact award for campus energy savings, including LED upgrades and refrigeration modernization. Rail Infrastructure: Repairs to a railroad bridge in White River Junction are set to begin Friday, with alternating one-lane traffic and overnight work schedules.

Flood Recovery Funding: Vermont is rolling out a $31M Agriculture and Timber Disaster Assistance Program for loggers and farmers hit by 2023–24 flooding, with applications opening late next month and grants up to $75,000. Energy Storage in Homes: Green Mountain Power says its “virtual power plant” is now its biggest energy source, using shared home battery storage to keep lights on during outages and growing to about 5,600 customers. Vermont Yankee Redevelopment: PowerTransitions is weighing a 110–440 MW battery storage project on the former Vermont Yankee site, drawing community skepticism at a Vernon meeting. Affordable Housing Milestone: Putney’s Alice Holway Drive apartments opened after years of legal fights, placing 25 households into new affordable homes next to community gardens. Workforce & Efficiency: Vermont State University won Efficiency Vermont recognition for campus energy savings, including controls upgrades, LED retrofits, and refrigeration improvements. Public Health Guidance: Vermont’s Department of Health released 2026–27 flu, COVID, and RSV vaccine recommendations, including guidance issued under a new state law. AI & Data Center Politics: Senate Democrats blocked Ohio’s Ratepayer Protection Act, a fight over whether data centers should pay incremental grid costs instead of shifting them to ratepayers.

EMS Regionalization: Pownal Select Board will kick off public meetings on a Southshire rescue squads regionalization study, with Bennington County Regional Commission planner Nick Zaiac set to brief options aimed at slowing rising emergency-service costs. Energy Resilience: Vermont’s “virtual power plant” is now its biggest power source, with Green Mountain Power batteries in 5,500+ homes helping keep lights on during storms. Efficiency & Higher Ed: Efficiency Vermont honored Vermont State University for energy-saving upgrades across campuses, including controls optimization, LED retrofits, and refrigeration modernization totaling $600,000+ in annual savings. Local Infrastructure: Winooski reopened nearly 4,000 feet of Main Street after a $28.3 million rebuild that added bike lanes, wider sidewalks, new traffic signals, and underground utility work. Regional Planning: The Rutland Regional Plan for 27 municipalities won state approvals, setting a development and land-use framework through 2034. Workforce & Agriculture: Rep. Becca Balint highlighted Vermont’s workforce value and USDA staffing concerns tied to agricultural operations. Business Spotlight: Hayden Rowe Candle Co. is growing fast in Vermont with “cleaner” soy candles positioned as non-toxic and consistent across temperatures.

Energy Efficiency: Vermont State University won Efficiency Vermont’s 2026 Energy leadership award for impact, citing $600,000+ in annual savings from controls upgrades, LED retrofits, and refrigeration improvements across multiple campuses. Workforce & Education: Workforce in Motion’s Chittenden County Summit drew 1,000+ students for hands-on career demos as a Vermont Public poll shows many teens considering leaving the state. Local Infrastructure: Vermont towns and cities are set to receive $6.2 million in Bicycle and Pedestrian grants for sidewalks, crosswalks, and the Essex Junction–Essex Town VT 15 path. Energy Storage Debate: In Vernon, residents questioned a proposed 110–440 MW battery storage project tied to the former Vermont Yankee site, pressing on jobs, taxes, noise, and safety. Trade & Business: Vermont officials and businesses say Trump’s Canadian import ban is limiting only a small slice of inventory, with dealers and liquor regulators expecting minimal near-term disruption. Skilled Trades Spotlight: Two separate Harbor Freight Tools for Schools prize stories highlight skilled-trades teaching and training investment. Food & Growth: Haymaker Bun’s Burlington retail space is shifting to wholesale production, while Cafe Modo prepares a new Vergennes bagels-and-pizza concept. Arts Funding: Vermont Arts Council grants totaling $725,000 support public artwork and community arts projects statewide. Data Privacy: A class-action investigation is underway after a Gallagher Transport data breach reportedly exposed Vermont residents’ personal information.

Energy & Power Resilience: Green Mountain Power’s home-battery virtual power plant is now Vermont’s biggest single power resource, with about 110 MW capacity and thousands of enrolled batteries helping cut peak costs and keep power steadier during storms. Workforce Development: The Workforce In Motion Summit returns to the Champlain Valley Expo, pairing Vermont students and job seekers with employers across aviation, manufacturing, healthcare, skilled trades, and tech. Higher Ed & Energy Savings: Vermont State University earned Efficiency Vermont recognition for campus upgrades—controls optimization, LED retrofits, and refrigeration modernization—aimed at saving more than $600,000 a year. Housing & School Costs: Harwood Unified is weighing school consolidation to avoid steep spending penalties, while Vermont’s housing market keeps cooling with more listings and longer time on market. Logistics & Privacy: A class-action investigation is underway after Gallagher Transport reported a breach that exposed sensitive data, including Social Security numbers, affecting Vermont residents. AI & Data Centers Politics: Angie Nixon is pushing a federal moratorium on AI data centers, framing the issue as an environmental justice risk. Waste & Infrastructure: Casella Waste Systems won a New York permit expansion for its Hakes C&D landfill, adding millions of cubic yards of disposal capacity.

Energy Efficiency in Higher Ed: Vermont State University says Efficiency Vermont projects across Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon, and Randolph are cutting energy costs by more than $600,000 a year, earning a 2026 Energy leadership award. College Sports Policy: The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act, setting national rules for NIL, transfers, eligibility, and athlete medical protections, with a limited antitrust exemption for the NCAA. Healthcare & Labor in Vermont Dairy: A judge blocked a Vermont dairy cooperative from cutting workers’ health insurance while a Teamsters dispute over a creamery shutdown plays out. Housing for People Experiencing Homelessness: Groundworks Collaborative plans to open Hope’s House in Brattleboro, adding 40 beds for unhoused adults ahead of winter. Agriculture & Food Safety: USDA recalled 4,596 pounds of Korean chicken stew products distributed in eight states due to lack of inspection. Workforce Ownership Push: Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak will lead a task force to expand employee ownership as businesses face a succession “cliff.” Solar Development Records Request: A Bennington solar developer is seeking a large batch of town records tied to the Apple Hill town plan and permit history. Gas Prices Watch: GasBuddy reports the lowest Windham County premium gas price at $4.99/gal for the week ending Sept. 19.

Energy efficiency in higher ed: Vermont State University is racking up savings with Efficiency Vermont projects, including controls upgrades at Castleton and Johnson, LED retrofits at Johnson and Lyndon, and refrigeration modernization at Randolph—totaling $600,000+ in annual savings and earning a 2026 Energy leadership award. Workforce and ownership: Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak is launching a task force to expand employee ownership for local businesses, aiming to soften the looming succession cliff as many owners near retirement. Business-policy coordination: The Vermont Chamber of Commerce convened the Vermont Solutions Summit, bringing lawmakers and industry leaders together on workforce growth, housing, affordability, community vitality, and AI adoption. Agriculture support: USDA staffing cuts are hitting Vermont farmers, with producers reporting trouble accessing programs like EQIP amid reduced local NRCS capacity. On-farm and food systems: Vermont Week of Gleaning highlighted Willing Hands’ Upper Valley work recovering surplus produce to fight food waste and hunger. Grant opportunity: The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Service Provider & Producer Association Grant is open through Nov. 5, with an Oct. 1 webinar on eligibility and applying. Local economy: Bennington City Council approved Neumeyer Farm Park phase updates and zoning changes to allow a micro-distillery as a conditional use.

Energy & Infrastructure: A nor’easter knocked out power across the Northeast, leaving more than 40,000 customers dark, with smaller outages reported in Vermont as crews work around downed trees and lines. Higher Ed & Workforce: UVM beat Dartmouth 2-0 in field hockey, while UVM and Middlebury announced tuition discounts aimed at boosting enrollment and easing Vermont’s “demographic cliff.” Construction & Roads: The Agency of Transportation published its weekly roadwork plan for Sept. 28, including I-89 paving and bridge rehabilitation impacts. Agriculture & Food Systems: Vermont’s Working Lands Enterprise Initiative grant application window opened, plus free toolkits for specialty crop growers and restaurant buyers. Local Business & Development: Bennington City Council approved a 1.4% property tax levy reduction and advanced Neumeyer Farm Park Phase 2, zoning changes for a micro-distillery, and a proposed Downtown Improvement District. Energy Policy Watch: A new report ties the 2026 gas ban debate to affordability pressures and election-year politics. Community & Sustainability: Hartford Memorial Middle School removed PCBs found in paint during construction, and Burlington’s Repair Cafe continues to build a repair culture to cut waste.

Vermont Summit at UVM: The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources is hosting a free Sept. 29 Vermont Summit at the UVM Davis Center, bringing together energy, health, and the economy with a keynote by Nate Hagens and cross-sector roundtables. Road & construction impacts: AOT’s weekly construction report flags statewide line striping plus I-89 paving in Bethel–Brookfield and ongoing I-89 bridge work near Royalton, with lane limits and speed changes. Manufacturing & workforce: BDCC’s Brattleboro Regional Manufacturing Event on Oct. 8 will pair facility tours with a panel on Southern Vermont’s manufacturing economy and hiring needs. Local government & development: Bennington City Council approved a 1.4% property tax levy reduction, Neumeyer Farm Park Phase 2, zoning changes for a micro-distillery, and a proposed Downtown Improvement District. Energy & environment: A Vermont nuclear watchdog story says the agency has gone quiet, while Hassan is reviving a push to strip PFAS from food wrappers in neighboring New Hampshire. Higher ed affordability: UVM and Middlebury announced major tuition discounts aimed at boosting enrollment. Food systems: Vermont Week of Gleaning spotlights Willing Hands’ work recovering surplus produce to fight food waste and hunger. Repair culture: A Burlington Repair Cafe story highlights Vermonters fixing belongings to cut landfill waste. Gas prices: GasBuddy reports the lowest premium gas in Chittenden County at $5.19 (week ending Sept. 19) and regular gas lows across Windham and Grand Isle counties. Agriculture economy: A Granite Festival at the Big E and a Barre Granite Museum event both spotlight Vermont’s enduring stone and craft industries.

Manufacturing & Workforce: BDCC’s Brattleboro Regional Manufacturing Event (Oct. 8) will bring manufacturers, state leaders, educators, and workforce partners together for facility tours and a panel on Southern Vermont’s jobs and economic impact. Energy, Health & Economy: UVM’s Vermont Summit (Sept. 29) at the Davis Center links energy, public health, and the state economy, with a keynote by Nate Hagens plus cross-sector roundtables. Local Government & Development: Bennington City Council approved a 1.4% property tax levy reduction, advanced Neumeyer Farm Park Phase 2, and updated zoning to allow a micro-distillery as a conditional use—plus a proposed Downtown Improvement District. Agriculture & Land Use: The Vermont Land Use Review Board is holding public stakeholder meetings on whether and how Act 250 should cover commercial activities on farms, with input due for a Nov. 15 recommendation. Community Repair Culture: A Burlington Old North End Repair Cafe highlights Vermont’s growing push to fix belongings and cut waste. Construction Updates: A statewide list of highway and interstate work for Sept. 28 includes I-89 paving and bridge rehabilitation impacts, with lane closures and speed limits. Transportation Milestone: Tri-Valley Transit marks 50 years with community food drives tied to rider routes and local food shelves.

Manufacturing & Workforce: BDCC is hosting a Brattleboro Regional Manufacturing event Oct. 8 with facility tours and a panel on Southern Vermont’s manufacturing economy and evolving workforce needs. Energy & Policy: A coalition of eight East Coast attorneys general, including Vermont, sued the Trump administration over offshore wind lease buyouts, challenging $1.4 billion payments tied to projects off New York and New Jersey. AI Governance: A week of debate intensified around AI safety and regulation, with lawmakers and state AGs pushing Congress for federal rules as public concern grows. Local Infrastructure: Crews are continuing major I-89 and bridge work, including paving and long-term restrictions near Exit 3, with impacts expected through fall 2027. Environment & Schools: Hartford Memorial Middle School crews found low-concentration PCBs in paint during a chimney replacement project; materials were removed and disposed of, with future disruption flagged for abatement. Community & Waste Reduction: Burlington’s Old North End Repair Cafe highlights Vermont’s growing repair culture as residents look for ways to cut landfill-bound waste. Fuel Prices: Gas prices stayed volatile nationally, with Vermont averaging about $4.42 for regular in the week ending Sept. 19, while diesel in Franklin County averaged $6.25. Transit: Tri-Valley Transit marks 50 years with community food drives, including a Montpelier collection Oct. 3 benefiting the Montpelier Food Pantry.

Housing Crunch: A new editorial argues Vermont’s real problem isn’t demographics—it’s that the state hasn’t produced enough homes for the people already here, citing a decade-long shortfall between needed and built units. Energy & Grid: A Vermont Summit is set for Sept. 29 at UVM’s Davis Center, aiming to connect energy, health, and the economy with a keynote by Nate Hagens and cross-sector roundtables. Manufacturing & Materials: Filabot, a Vermont-based maker of plastic-processing gear, launched the EX3 Filament Maker System for producing custom 3D-printing filament from virgin and recycled plastics. Ag & Land Use: The Vermont Land Use Review Board is holding public stakeholder meetings on whether Act 250 should be modernized for commercial activities on farms, including accessory on-farm businesses. Construction & Infrastructure: Vermont Business Magazine published its weekly statewide construction-traffic update, including I-89 paving and bridge rehabilitation work. Local Industry Spotlight: The Vermont Granite Museum’s Granite Festival highlighted Barre’s granite-carving trade and its ongoing role in the state’s economy. Public Safety: Burlington Fire Department announced October fire prevention events focused on safe charging of lithium-ion devices. AI Policy: Bipartisan state attorneys general, including Oregon’s Dan Rayfield, urged Congress to set federal AI safety rules after incidents involving AI systems accessing networks without authorization. Cross-Border Business: A report says the U.S.-Canada trade war has shifted travel patterns, with Americans increasingly visiting Canada as conditions for trips improve.

AI Safety Push: Vermont’s U.S. Sen. Peter Welch joined a broader push for federal rules on frontier AI, including a new independent regulator and tools like risk pauses, incident reporting, and transparency. State Cyber Accountability: Acting AG Cori Mills announced a multistate settlement with Labcorp over a 2019 data breach tied to a medical debt collector, underscoring that vendor data security is a non-delegable duty. Public Health Watch: CDC reported 3,659 measles cases nationwide as of Sept. 24, with Vermont among the states reporting cases and most infections linked to outbreaks. Energy & Industry: Vermont-based Beta Technologies is testing all-electric flight operations in North Carolina’s eLIFT program to speed delivery of healthcare cargo to rural sites. Vermont Economy & Work: BDCC’s Brattleboro Regional Manufacturing Event (Oct. 8) will feature facility tours and a workforce-focused panel. Agriculture: Pick-your-own apple orchards say the season still hinges on fall weather, with Chapin Orchard in Essex Junction describing how a few rainy days can swing results. Local Infrastructure: Vermont’s weekly construction update flags ongoing line striping and I-89 paving/bridge work affecting traffic.

AI Regulation Push: Vermont Sen. Peter Welch joined a bipartisan push for a new federal AI regulator, aiming at safety pauses, transparency, incident reporting, and protections for data and national security. Data Center Pressure: Maryland moved to standardize reviews for large data centers, while Texas faces scrutiny over water use as AI infrastructure expands. UVM Research Boost: UVM won a $19M NSF grant to build a national connectomics observatory, scaling advanced brain-imaging tools for researchers nationwide. Rural Health Tech: BETA Technologies launched all-electric flight operations in North Carolina’s eLIFT program, testing faster delivery of critical healthcare supplies to rural access points. Workforce & Industry Hiring: Vermont Tech Jam returns Oct. 24 in Burlington, bringing recruiters from major Vermont employers and local colleges together for in-person hiring. Energy & Costs: Gas prices in Vermont stayed around the low-$4 range, with county-by-county lowest-price reports. Local Governance: Milton created a charter review committee that could put ordinance and municipal-election changes before voters as soon as March.

AI Regulation Push: Vermont’s AG Nick Brown joined a bipartisan coalition urging Congress to regulate AI and avoid preempting state authority, warning unchecked systems could pose existential risks. Energy & Cost Pressure: AAA reports Vermont gas averaging $4.45 and climbing nationally to $4.48, with diesel staying near record highs; a new Vermont energy affordability report says fossil fuels are driving most of the state’s recent cost surge. EV Charging Reality Check: A Vermont piece highlights how EV adoption is getting stuck in a funding-and-infrastructure loop, with public charger buildout tied to federal and state money. Housing Tax Relief: Sen. Peter Welch introduced a bill to exempt small rural affordable housing developers’ grants from income tax. Public Health/Consumer Watch: Multistate AG action seeks claims for consumers over inflated generic drug prices. Vermont Agriculture & Research: UVM will coordinate a $19M NSF connectomics observatory, and USDA/UVM expand Northeast grazing research at the Food Systems Research Station in Charlotte. Local Business & Community: Tri-Valley Transit marks 50 years with regional food drives; Fairfax Fire responded again to Nan’s Mobile after a rekindled blaze. Trade & Industry: Vermont businesses face fallout from the U.S.-Canada tariff fight, with cross-border supply chains under strain.

Energy Costs: A new Vermont energy affordability report from EAN says fuel oil is nearing $6 a gallon and gasoline is nearly $4.50—both sharply higher than last year—pinning most of the hit on fossil fuel prices. Workforce & Business Continuity: Vermont is pushing employee ownership as a succession plan to prevent small-business closures as thousands of owners retire. AI Policy: Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Peter Welch are pressing for major federal AI oversight, including a proposal to regulate frontier models and pause “superintelligence” development. Local Industry & Taxes: Barre Area Development says legislative talk of raising taxes on high-income earners scared off a business considering the Wilson Industrial Park. Agriculture & Food Systems: Vermont opened applications for a Farm to Institution Market Development grant to boost sales for farms and increase local food at schools and other institutions. Public Safety & Transport: A Route 9 hazardous-material crash in Woodford is keeping part of the highway closed into Wednesday evening. Recreation Infrastructure: Vermont plans safety upgrades to Elmore and Spruce Mountain fire towers, with temporary trail and parking closures expected in late September.