Energy Alternatives: Recent HeadlinesEnergy Alternatives: Recent Headlineshttp://www.understandingvt.org/energy-alternatives-recent-hea/2008-11-26T21:33:08ZSquarespaceVermont among states with top cutbacks in highway miles drivenhttp://www.understandingvt.org/energy-alternatives-recent-hea/2008/11/26/vermont-among-states-with-top-cutbacks-in-highway-miles-driv.htmlVCF Staff2008-11-26T21:27:19Z2008-11-26T21:27:19ZVermont Public Radio reports that according to statistics released by the Federal Highway Administration, "Vermonters have cut back on driving by more than any other state but one." Indeed "in Vermont, the number of highway miles driven for the month was down 7.9 percent. Only South Carolina was down more, at 8.4 percent. Maine was third at 7.5 percent." Overall, "American motorists drove 10.7 billion fewer miles in September than they did for the same month last year. That's a decline of 4.4 percent." Maine Deputy Transportation Commissioner Greg Nadeu explained that "the decline in the northern New England states is probably greater than the nation as a whole because the region is rural and people are more reliant on their cars to get places."
]]>Oil dealers get fuel aid fundshttp://www.understandingvt.org/energy-alternatives-recent-hea/2008/11/26/oil-dealers-get-fuel-aid-funds.htmlVCF Staff2008-11-26T20:17:00Z2008-11-26T20:17:00ZThe Brattleboro Reformer reports that "the state is disbursing more than $23 million in fuel heating assistance funds to heating oil dealers in Vermont this week." The oil dealers will also receive a list of the families who qualify for assistance money. "Those who qualify will get on average more than $1,700 to help pay their oil bills this winter." This winter, nearly 14,000 families have qualified. "This week, the state is sending out notifications in the mail to let qualified applicants know they can go ahead and contact their fuel companies for delivery."
Link to article]]>Engineers find more cracks in VY steam dryerhttp://www.understandingvt.org/energy-alternatives-recent-hea/2008/11/26/engineers-find-more-cracks-in-vy-steam-dryer.htmlVCF Staff2008-11-26T20:13:27Z2008-11-26T20:13:27ZThe Brattleboro Reformer reports that "during a recheck of the results of Vermont Yankee's steam dryer inspection, engineers found that the number of additional hairline cracks in the dryer was actually 18, and not 16, as previously reported." According to Rob Williams, spokesman for the Vernon nuclear plant, "These two additional [cracks] were also likely created in the early years of plant operations and are not a result of metal fatigue that had been seen in some other boiling water reactors that had been through a power uprate." Notably, "the steam dryer inspection was conducted during a recent refueling outage at the nuclear power plant in Vernon. The inspection was the second of three required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission following the approval of a 20 percent power uprate.
Link to article]]>Closing VY could raise power costshttp://www.understandingvt.org/energy-alternatives-recent-hea/2008/11/26/closing-vy-could-raise-power-costs.htmlVCF Staff2008-11-26T19:48:36Z2008-11-26T19:48:36ZThe Brattleboro Reformer reports that according to Scott M. Albert, a principal of GDS Associates and a consultant retained by the state to evaluate the alternatives to continued operation of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, Vermont, "Replacing the energy supplied by Vermont Yankee with 100 percent renewable energy sources could cost Vermont more than $