Vermont

Is burning wood really renewable? Reconsidering biomass in Vermont

Published

2 years ago

January 26, 2023

Is burning wood really renewable? Reconsidering biomass in Vermont

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Whereas Burlington’s McNeil Producing Station continues to pump out electrical energy for the town, Inexperienced Mountain Energy and different utilities, the destiny of biomass hangs within the stability. Our Kevin Gaiss appears at how burning wooden matches into the state’s local weather objectives.

A chilly, grey day means the McNeil Producing Station in Burlington is up and operating, burning wooden to generate electrical energy for the town and past.

“It’s a part of a era combine we have now in Burlington,” stated Darren Springer, the final supervisor of the Burlington Electrical Division.

That blend consists of hydro, photo voltaic, wind and biomass, all thought-about renewable era.

Burlington Electrical sees biomass or wooden burning as crucial for his or her metropolis. It provides Burlington with about one-third of its energy yearly, they usually imagine it has main advantages over different renewables.

“We will really use this as what we name a dispatchable plant. This plant could be run after we want energy and it may possibly run 24/7,” Springer stated.

So when the wind doesn’t blow or the solar doesn’t shine, biomass can fill within the power hole, just like burning fossil fuels. Biomass vegetation even have the additional advantage of being one of many solely markets for waste wooden.

However there’s rigidity over whether or not biomass has a spot in Vermont.

“Wooden power is renewable as a result of bushes regrow,” Springer stated.

However not everybody agrees. Burlington has its personal capability, however amenities like Ryegate account for about 3% of the state’s whole electrical era. Whether or not it must be referred to as renewable remains to be up for dialogue.

“Biomass must be part of Vermont historical past; it shouldn’t be part of Vermont future,” stated Zach Porter with Standing Timber.

Porter needs to see biomass struck from the state due to carbon emissions and well being considerations.

Biomass-generated emissions don’t depend towards our state’s greenhouse fuel emissions as a result of we have now extra bushes within the floor than we’re burning. However Porter believes not solely ought to the emissions depend, however we must always lower the twine.

“By definition, if it’s not low-carbon, it shouldn’t be a part of our clear power future,” Porter stated.

And the state itself is taking a tough take a look at biomass-generated energy.

“What was the advice from a local weather perspective across the future use of biomass,” stated Jane Lazorchak of the Vermont Local weather Motion Workplace.

Suggestions to the Local weather Council on Biomass have included not creating any new biomass electrical era amenities. Although a biomass process group throughout the Local weather Council most not too long ago tabled suggestions on the way forward for McNeil and Ryegate, cut up between the unfavourable impacts of burning wooden gas and the positives of electrical energy era and taking waste wooden.

Others wish to know extra about what a plant shutdown and its timeline would imply.

“What to do with these vegetation of their long-term operations,” Lazorchak stated.

Vermont can be wanting over the subsequent 12 months at how biomass must be counted within the greenhouse fuel stock and its place within the renewable power sphere.

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Related Topics:biomass Burlington burning clean Electricity Energy Featured generating mcneil news plant power ryegate station vermont WCAX Wood

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Vermont

Teen drug use varies by state. Here’s how Vermont compares.

Published

5 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Press Room

Teen drug use varies by state. Here’s how Vermont compares.

While teen drug use has largely declined, the latest data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health shows moderate differences by state. In Vermont, an estimated 9.4% of teens had used an illicit drug in the past month, making it the #8 state for teen drug use.

Read the national analysis to see which states had the highest rates of teen drug use.

Drug use is generally higher in some Western states, including New Mexico, where 13.7% of teens had used drugs in the past month. This is in line with larger trends, as New Mexico has had some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug-related deaths in the country for decades. A 2023 report from the state’s legislature found fewer teens are using drugs than they were a decade ago, but overdoses are on the rise.

Northeastern states including Rhode Island and Massachusetts also have some of the highest rates of teen drug use. Again, this is in line with larger regional trends, as New England has felt the outsized impact of the opioid crisis.

States with the lowest rates of teen drug use were Alabama and Utah, with both at around 5%. However, both states have experienced a rise in opioid deaths in recent years. In 2023, Alabama launched the Odds Are Alabama campaign to raise awareness and prevent fentanyl-related overdose deaths.

Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo. Additional editing by Kelly Glass and Elisa Huang. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.

This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C.

This story originally appeared on Substance Use Treatment Facilities and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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Vermont

Vermont disaster recovery centers to close temporarily on election day

Published

13 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Press Room

Vermont disaster recovery centers to close temporarily on election day

All Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Recovery Centers in Vermont will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 5, the day of the general election.

The Green Mountain State’s three disaster recovery centers − set up to assist Vermonters impacted by the storms and floods on July 11-13 and July 29-31 − are located in the Hinesburg Town Hall, Lyndon Public Safety Facility and the Newport Municipal Building.

The Hinesburg site, which is used as a polling station, will also be closed on Nov. 4 to prepare for the election.

The Newport and Lyndon sites are slated to reopen on Nov. 6, while the Hinesburg location will reopen the following day to give employees time to transition the site back to a disaster recovery center.

Regular hours of operation for all three recovery centers are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

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Vermont

Connecticut wins against Vermont Catamounts in overtime – The Rink Live

Published

21 hours ago

November 3, 2024

Press Room

The teams were tied after 60 minutes but overtime saw Connecticut come away with the close win over Vermont Catamounts at home on Sunday, November 02, 2024.

The final score was 6-5.

UConn’s

Tristan Fraser

scored the game-winning goal.

The Huskies scored three goals in first period an held the lead 3-2 going in to the first break.

One goal were scored in the second period, the score being tied at 3-3 going in to the third period.

The Huskies took the lead within the first minute of the third period when

Ethan Whitcomb

found the back of the net, assisted by

Kai Janviriya

and

Kaden Shahan

Massimo Lombardi

tied it up 4-4 with a goal five minutes later, assisted by

Joel Maatta

Tabor Heaslip

took the lead with a goal seven minutes later.

The Catamounts tied the score 5-5 with 60 seconds remaining of the third after a goal from

Colin Kessler

In overtime, it took 4:14 before Tristan Fraser scored the game-winner for the home team, assisted by

Trey Scott

and

Ryan Tattle

Coming up:

Both teams will be back in action on Friday, November 08, 2024 when the Huskies hosts Merrimack at 6 p.m. CST and the Catamounts welcomes Massachusetts at 6 p.m. CST.