Advocacy

As the state gears up to elect its next governor, AARP is offering members a chance to meet the candidates and learn their positions on issues important to Vermonters age 50-plus. AARP will host an information and training session for those interested in talking with candidates about their plans to improve transportation infrastructure, for example, or to keep utilities affordable. Volunteers will facilitate discussions of key issues at town hall meetings and other events, or through social media. “This is a great chance to get involved in the race for governor without getting tangled in partisan politics,” said Greg Marchildon, AARP state director. The session will be held at the AARP state office, 199 Main St., Suite 225, in Burlington, on Friday, July 1, from 10 a.m to noon. Snacks will be provided.

As the state gears up to elect its next governor, AARP is offering members a chance to meet the candidates and learn their positions on issues important to Vermonters age 50-plus. AARP will host an information and training session for those interested in talking with candidates about their plans to improve transportation infrastructure, for example, or to keep utilities affordable. Volunteers will facilitate discussions of key issues at town hall meetings and other events, or through social media.

Do you want inspiration for how Burlington could make its streets safe for walking and biking -- for everyone, all year round? Join us for an evening with Betsy Hodges, the mayor of Minneapolis, who will share her city's work to bring walking and biking within reach for all her city's residents.

“Everything is OK.” That seems to be the conclusion of the recent report and testimony by the Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) in responding to a legislative order to study whether its advocacy unit is best representing ratepayers. Unfortunately, everything is not OK, and both their report and public comments, while defending the status quo, actually prove how they are failing at that mission. It shows that the DPS does not serve, in any fashion, as a ratepayer advocate. In fact, it sees its mission as being focused on promoting the “public good” rather than “ratepayer interests,” particularly residential and small commercial customer interests. When our public advocate backs the utility companies time after time, something is clearly wrong

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A recently-released report sponsored by AARP Vermont shows that the Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS), which purportedly represents ratepayer interests, has an inherent conflict of interest and needs immediate reform. The report, closely examines the actions taken by DPS over the past eight years before Vermont’s utility regulators. It finds that, time-after-time, the DPS entered into settlement agreements that were very generous to utilities, not to Vermont’s residential utility customers. The report also found that the Department entered into numerous settlement agreements with Vermont utilities that shifted a considerable amount of financial and regulatory risk away from these regulated electric and natural gas companies and onto ratepayers. The report was prepared by a consulting firm that has participated in over 500 regulatory proceedings in over 20 states for ratepayer advocates around the country.

AARP Vermont shares the following article from the Burlington Free Press regarding pipeline land deal details not disclosed by Vermont Gas Systems.

Nobody thinks much about utility regulation…until it hits their wallet. It’s not a sexy nor easy topic, but is one that impacts about every household and business in the state. When your rates go up or your electricity is interrupted, it gets your attention – but then it’s too late. In Vermont, our gas and electric utility companies are monopolies and the majority of Vermonters are served by for-profit companies. That’s why we regulate them. Unfortunately, ratepayers don’t always get a fair shake in this murky and complex system. They don’t have a voice, unless regulators or advocates stand up for them. Thankfully, our Legislature is finally looking at this issue closely.

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