VEC Online Process: Energy Future Survey (April 28, 2008)
Welcome VEC Members!! This is an online process for the VEC customers to offer your opinions on where energy in the near future should come from. To join in the discussion and take the survey, follow this link and enter VEC2008 as the user name. See you on the boards!!
Vermont Yankee Online Conferences Closed (April 10, 2008)
The online conferences for public input for the Vermont Yankee studies have closed. Check back later for the results.
Vermont Yankee Online Conferences (March 26, 2008)
Vermont Yankee is the state’s lone nuclear power plant, located in Vernon, Vermont. In 2012, the state and federal permission for the operation of this power plant expires. The Legislature has asked the Department of Public Service to engage the public and identify the issues and concerns about the plant, and to conduct a series of studies that will help the Legislature have an open public discussion about continued activities at the plant. The department has been hosting events across the state, but we also believed the use of an online conference like this one could help people, who may not be able to attend a meeting, participate and provide feedback. The information from these events will be used to guide the studies for the legislature.
Rules of this forum: Respect and brevity are mandatory. No flaming allowed, and no rants – we are seeking concise and thoughtful insight into your opinions, but this is not a forum for lengthy commentary or debate. Any such activities will be removed and the user IP blocked from further access.
To connect to the forum, please follow this link. Once you are at the login screen, please use the user name: VY160
From there, just follow the on-line directions!
This session will close on April 2, 2008. Thank you!
Results Now Available (February 12, 2008)
We have received the final reports from the primary consultants, and have posted them on-line under Results and Reports. There are various documents available to include: an Executive Summary; "Public Engagement at a Glance"; Regional Workshop Results; Regional Workshop Appendicies; On-Line Conferences Results; and the Background Document.
On-Line Process Completed (January 3, 2008)
The on-line conferences for the Public Engagement Process have closed. With 75 people participating in the on-line conferences, we have gained a unique perspective previously not available. The results of the on-line conferences will be available soon. Stay tuned!
On-Line Process Begins (December 13, 2007)
The on-line conferences for the Public Engagement Processare underway. These virtual conferences will consist of an on-line facilitated discussion and poll, and will in early 2008.
We have asked interested organizations to sponsor an event, which will be opened on certain dates, as listed on this link.
If you do not have an affiliation with a conference sponsor but wish to participate, please e-mail project director Stephen Wark to register.
If you have participated in a previous Regional Workshop or the Deliberative Poll, you are not eligible to particiate in these on-line sessions.
Deliberative Polling Complete! (11/07/2007)
Deliberative Polling has been talked about for over two years - but it finally has taken place! Over the weekend of November 3rd and 4th, the Department of Public Service hosted the polling event at the University of Vermont. 154 participants and over 200 people were present during a weekend-long discussion about energy. At the end of the discussions, participants completed a questionaire about energy preferences, which are cuurrently being analyized. The results will be posted soon!
Background materials available (10/13/2007)
Some Vermonters have been contacted by our consulting team from the University of Texas for a telephone survey. This will be a random sample, and of the people contacted, a sub-group of 200 Vermonters will be invited to attend a Deliberative Polling event at UVM in Burlington, VT on November 3rd and 4th. Background materials for participants, or anyone who wants to learn more about Vermont's Energy Future is now available on line. Learn More>
Regional Workshops: Updated 10/9/2007
The St. Johnsbury Regional Workshop was a great success, thanks to the hard work of Jonathan Raab, Patrick Field, Dave Lamont and Robert Ide! Participants enjoyed the food and were very attentative to the keypad polling technology.
There have been increasing numbers of participants registering for the remaining workshops, so make sure to register today - space is limited!
There have been some changes in the location for some of the workshops, so please take a minute to ensure you are going to the correct location.
South Burlington, Vermont: Tuttle Middle School (Map)
Rutland, Vermont: Holiday Inn (Map)
State seeks input on Vermont's Energy Future
Vermont wants your help in shaping the future mix of electricity sources for the state. Five evening public workshops will be held in locations throughout the state this fall. You can attend the workshop closest to you. These workshops were authorized by the Vermont Legislature, endorsed by the Governor, and spearheaded by the Department of Public Service. The locations, dates, and times are listed below.
The Workshops are free but registration is required. The goal of the workshops is to gather informed and thoughtful citizen and ratepayer input for the State and its electric utilities as they make decisions about how and where Vermont obtains its electric power for the coming decades. In 2012, contracts providing for two-thirds of the state's electric power begin to expire. This leaves the future source of Vermont's electricity open for discussion and examination.
Choices about the future will have to be made and will weigh trade-offs among cost, reliability, environmental impact, large and small scale generation, and in versus out-of-state sources
All workshops will begin at 5:00 p.m. with light dinner fare and a prompt start at 5:30 p.m. and end around 10. During the workshops there will be a brief presentation, small group facilitated discussions, a chance to ask questions to a panel of experts, keypad polling to register your preferences and opinions, and an open mike at the end to record any additional thoughts you might have. The regional workshops will be held on the following dates in the following locations:
Oct. 3, 2007 St. Johnsbury Elementary School
Oct. 17, 2007 South Burlington: Tuttle Middle School
Oct. 18, 2007 Montpelier Elks Club, Montpelier, VT
Oct. 29, 2007 Dean Educational Center, Springfield, VT
Oct. 30, 2007 Holiday Inn, Rutland, VT
Please register and attend the workshop closest to you. To ensure broad and diverse participation from across the state, participants may only register for one workshop.
You may register here to participate. For problems with registration or any other specific questions, please email Susan Rivo or call the Department of Public Service at 1-800-622-4496 (in-state) or 802-828-2332.
What is Public Engagement
The Department of Public Service has been tasked with conducting a statewide
public engagement process on energy planning focused on electricity supply
choices facing the state beginning in 2012. The purpose of the process will be
to educate the public about the energy supply challenges facing the state; to
gather meaningful and informed public input about values and preferences of
Vermonters regarding energy supply; and by achieving the first two objectives,
to ensure broad-based public acceptance of the resulting choices. Read
More>
Why Public Engagement?
The Department of Public Service wil be working with various experts to reach
out to the citizens of Vermont and gather meaningful, balanced and relevant
ideas and insights. We plan to accomplish this through these methods:
- Educational materials - These materials will be developed
by
our Advisory Committee in cooperation with our consulting team, and will be available on line.
- Deliberative Polling - We will use this scientific polling method, designed to involve residents of the State of
Vermont, through a representative sampling.
- On-Line Meetings - We will provide web-oriented meetings, intended to broaden the reach of the
overall public engagement.
- Regional Workshops - We will be hosting five regional workshops thhroughout the state, to hear what Vermonters
think.
Will it matter?
Yes. There have been recent energy-related public engagement processes
throughout Vermont. The Governor’s Commission on Wind was convened to
solicit feedback on wind power. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR)
facilitated meetings to gather input prior to ANR drafting a policy concerning
wind power on state-owned lands.
Additionally, the Department of Public Service has sponsored an independent
project called Mediated Modeling. This is a small group (22) of diverse,
representative stakeholders that meets 12 half-days per year to seek consensus
on what constitutes valid data and a supportable model for energy resource
decision-making. The process seeks to create credible data and a robust
model for use in future dialogue and decision-making around energy issues.
In another example, Vermont’s largest electric utility, Central Vermont
Public Service (CVPS), established the Southern Loop Search Conference Process,
which sought to develop recommendations to CVPS regarding solving transmission
constraints in Southern Vermont. The process included over 60 diverse,
representative stakeholders, guided by a steering committee that met for two
days to provide input into decisions by CVPS (and ultimately the Public Service
Board).
Interest in Vermont's energy future is at an all time high, and the broad
group of stakeholders, to include leaders, advocates, consumers and utilities,
have a vested interested in listening to the wisdom of Vermonters.
