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Explore our latest coverage of environmental issues, climate change and more.

Vermont Weighs Pros And Cons Of Buying Hydro Dams

Courtesy of James Patterson
/
Valley News
The Wilder Dam in Wilder, Vt. seen here in Oct. 2015. A state working group is currently assessing if the state should buy the dams from TransCanada.

Thirteen hydroelectric dams on the Connecticut and Deerfield Rivers are for sale, again. TransCanada outbid the state of Vermont in 2003 when these dams were last sold at auction. Now the state is opening a fresh debate over whether it wants to purchase and operate the power generating facilities.

The state has established a working group that's interested in three questions:

  • The future economic value of the facilities
  • The different ownership models that state could use
  • Whether this purchase would further the state’s energy and environmental goals

The leader of that working group, Administration Secretary Justin Johnson, is our guest to explain the contours of the discussion.
Also on the program: The warm winter means that Vermont's deer herd will be the largest it's been in years - and a proposed big boost in the number of hunting permits issued. We're checking in with Fish and Wildlife deer project leader Nick Fortin on the lookout for deer population and this fall's hunting season.

Broadcast live on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Patti is an integral part of VPR's news effort and part of the team that created Vermont Edition. As executive producer, Patti supervises the team that puts Vermont Edition on the air every day, working with producers to select and research show ideas, select guests and develop the sound and tone of the program.
Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
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