Latest News
Apr 18
Vermont Legislature Marks Lineworker Appreciation Day
Johnson, Vt – The Vermont Legislature marked National Lineworker Appreciation Day on Thursday with a concurrent resolution, HCR 217, recognizing the critical role electric lineworkers play in keeping the power flowing to communities across the Green Mountain State. Lineworkers from Vermont Electric Co-op as well as Green Mountain Power and Washington Electric Co-op were greeted by Gov. Phil Scott, and received formal recognition from lawmakers on the floor of the Vermont House.
Apr 17
Community Fund: Generous VEC Members Making a Real Difference
In 2023 the VEC Community Fund disbursed to local non-profits the largest amount of money ever. The fund gave out grants totaling $47,959 in 2023, almost double the $24,100 awarded the previous year and well above any previous year since the fund was launched in 2015. The fund made 61 separate grant awards in 2023 compared to 32 in 2022.
Apr 15
Eleven Candidates Vying for Four Seats on Vermont Electric Co-op Board
Johnson, VT- Eleven candidates are contending for four seats up for election this year on the Board of Directors of Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC). The districts, and the candidates who are running in each district, are:
Mar 12
Join us!
Repeated storms in recent months have challenged VEC, causing several back-to-back power outages across our territory. These strong and damaging wind and snow events – a phenomenon we expect to continue – have put a spotlight on power reliability and resiliency. How is VEC planning for the future? Join us Thursday, March 28 from 12-1 pm for a conversation with experts about the changing weather and VEC’s strategic investments in reliability and resilience. What impacts are changing weather patterns having on the reliability of VEC’s electricity system? What investments is VEC making on behalf of our members to protect our system from the effects of these more frequent, intense storms? How will we pay for these investments?
Mar 12
North Country Students Get Boost from VEC Community Fund
Johnson, Vt – Here’s another great example of generous Vermont Electric Co-op members contributing to the success of young people in our region. The VEC Community Fund – supported by VEC members who voluntarily contribute by rounding up their electric bill or donating their member capital – recently awarded $1,000 to go toward prizes for North Country Supervisory Union students competing in a regional science and engineering fair. Aaron Miller, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) coordinator for NCSU said the donation will add to the excitement of the North Country Science and Engineering Fair and contest, where students from grades 5-8 compete for prizes with science and engineering related projects.
Feb 7
VEC, Camus and FlexCharging Partner to Ease EV Adoption
VEC, with partners Camus Energy and FlexCharging, announced today a new electric vehicle (EV) management program to expand demand flexibility and protect critical grid infrastructure. By integrating FlexCharging’s telematics and recruitment capabilities with Camus’s grid orchestration platform, VEC aims to engage 75 percent of its members’ electric vehicles in the utility’s managed charging program, lowering costs for all of its 33,000 members across 75 communities.
Jan 31
Jody Dunklee on Board Service: "A Unique Opportunity to be Part of the Solution"
Jody Dunklee of Fairfax has served on the VEC Board of Directors since 2019 and represents West Zone at Large towns. (Alburgh, Bakersfield, Belvidere, Berkshire, Bolton, Cambridge, Eden, Enosburg, Essex, Fairfax, Fairfield, Fletcher, Franklin, Georgia, Grand Isle, Highgate, Hinesburg, Huntington, Hyde Park, Isle LaMotte, Jericho, Johnson, Milton, Montgomery, Morristown, North Hero, Richford, Richmond, Sheldon, Shelburne, South Hero, Starksboro, Stowe, St. Albans Town, St. George, Swanton, Underhill, Waterville, Westford, Williston.) Below, Jody, whose seat is up for election in 2027, offers some thoughts on serving on the VEC Board.
Jan 30
Jay Peak Heating Project Brings Big Benefits to the Region
Jay Peak Resort has been running an innovative, hybrid space-and-water heating system for a few months now and initial indications are that the effort is helping the resort save significant energy costs and reduce carbon emissions. The new system can toggle back and forth between fuels, either propane or electricity, based on a variety of metrics, at any given time. “The resort is very pleased with the first month of electric boiler operation,” said Andy Stenger, Director of Facilities and Resort Services at Jay.
Jan 30
Storms Finn and Gerri Test the Co-op
Vermont experienced two back-to-back windstorms in January that caused major damage and a high number of power outages in VEC territory and elsewhere. The first, Storm Finn, hit overnight into Wednesday January 10, causing significant damage to VEC’s system in just a few hours. Restoration began after winds died down on Wednesday and crews were able to restore a fair bit of the system, only to be set back by a second storm that struck three days later. This one, Storm Gerri, blew in on January 13 and left further destruction in its path.
Jan 30
VEC Reliability and Resiliency
In January, winter storms Finn and Gerri brought significant damage to Vermont, taking down trees, power poles/lines and blowing away roofs. This comes after six months of intense, devastating weather including historic flooding in July and four rounds of wet heavy snow in December. We are so thankful for our resilient and patient members as we worked to restore power as safely and quickly as possible after each incident.