Office of Economic Stimulus and Recovery Blog

Vermont, Challenged and Stimulated

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:17:28 -0500

Now, when recovery from the worldwide recession is beginning, Vermont has an opportunity to emerge with a stronger economy, a cleaner environment, a broader tax base, and better jobs than we had before the downturn.

Smart Grid Award

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:05:41 -0400

The nearly $69 million dollar stimulus award Vermont utilities received from the federal Department of Energy (DoE) this week will have a much greater and long lasting effect on the Green Mountain State than hundreds of millions of dollars in stimulus band aids that we are also receiving.

How Many Jobs Were Stimulated – The Sequel

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:03:41 -0400

The official numbers for stimulus-created jobs in Vermont, which will be posted on recovery.gov October 30, will not be the same as the preliminary number of 1990 I reported to the legislature and the Vermont public on October 15.

Vermont’s Broadband Recommendations

chris.campbell@state.vt.us — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:09:01 -0400

Which broadband grant applicants does Vermont like or not like? That’s the question the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is the part of the US Commerce Department and is charged with distributing some of the stimulus funding for broadband, asked the Economic Stimulus and Recovery (ESR) office, which has the responsibility for answering such questions in Vermont.

How Many Jobs Were Stimulated?

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:38:52 -0400

There’s going to be a lot of controversy and confusion nationwide on October 30 when stimulus reports from states are made public on recovery.gov.

ARRA Reporting Information for Direct Recipients of Awards

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:47:12 -0400

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has created opportunities for significant investment in Vermont for business development; support of educational programs; expansion of housing, nutrition and other public services; construction of transportation , water and wastewater infrastructure; and substantial opportunity to retain and increase jobs.

Electricity Isn’t an Energy Source

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 07:13:10 -0400

Unless you’re tapping lightning bolts, electricity isn’t a source of energy – it’s a way of transporting energy from where it’s generated to where it’s used.

Broadband Stimulus in Vermont

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:04:01 -0400

Grants.gov kept crashing on August 14, the deadline for submitting applications for broadband stimulus funding; not to worry, the feds extended the deadline by six days – and even then had to allow submission of attachments to the application on CD by mail since their systems weren’t yet stable by the new deadline.

Where Are the Signs?

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:02:37 -0400

“How come there are no stimulus road projects in Vermont?” As Vermont’s stimulus czar, I hear this question all the time.

Vermont Utilities Unite to Seek $66 Million in Smart Grid Funding

joan.stewart@state.vt.us — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:54:51 -0400

All 20 Vermont electric distribution utilities (the people you buy electricity from); the transmission utility, VELCO, which brings electricity to them; and the efficiency utility, Efficiency Vermont, whose role is to reduce demand, have united to design a single $133 million plan for implementation of a “smart grid” in Vermont and have submitted a joint application to the US Department of Energy for stimulus funding to cover 50% of the cost.