The Senate has rejected legislation that would have given local towns more clout in the state review of energy projects that are proposed for their communities. Instead, lawmakers backed an effort that calls for a statewide study of the impact of the projects in the future.

The Vermont Senate will debate a bill next week that would significantly change the way that renewable energy projects are reviewed by the state. The bill would give towns much more authority to ban projects.

A new report from The Wilderness Society looks a range of different renewable energy sources that we might use in New England and details the impacts and consequences of each.

Tax credits that are seen as vital for the renewable energy industry are set to expire at the end of the year. Vermont's congressional delegation supports extending the credits. But the legislation is tied up in high-level budget and revenue negotiations now underway between Congress and the White House.

Energizer expects a decrease in the demand for its batteries, so the company plans to shutter its St. Albans plant in September. The drop in demand may be a good sign for the environment, but it's been a shock for a community that has come to rely on those jobs.

A new state commission has begun to wade into the contentious debate over where Vermont builds energy projects.

A forum Thursday night at Colchester High School is designed for people to share ideas on getting the state to 90 percent renewable energy by 2050.

Montpelier's City Council has approved a plan to upgrade and expand a state operated wood-fired heating system for downtown buildings, reversing its decision last week to kill the project due to financial concerns.

Montpelier's City Council has opposed a district energy project that called for the city to enter a contract with the state to purchase thermal energy, even after voters approved it.

On Thursday, Maine will take a major step forward as a leader in the field of tidal energy generation, when a 180-kilowatt turbine is lowered into the waters of a Bay, off Eastport. The turbine, built by the Ocean Renewable Power Company, will be the first in the nation to feed energy to the commercial electricity grid.

New England's governors and premiers from eastern Canadian Provinces have promised to work together to cut greenhouse gases and boost public transportation in the region. The governors and premiers met on Monday in Burlington, where they called for a regional approach to acquiring renewable electricity.

Governor Peter Shumlin will host the New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers in Burlington later this summer. This week, the leaders' staff met to discuss the opportunities and obstacles to reaching those goals with more renewable energy projects.

The town's Energy Committee is distributing a study exploring the feasibility of a low-impact hydro project.

At a select board meeting in Derby, approximately 50 people were present when the town's ad hoc Wind Committee submitted their unanimous recommendation that the Select Board oppose the proposed Derby Wind Line project.

The White House is honoring two Vermont women as Champions for Change this week. One is being lauded for her work as a Rotarian while the other for advancing innovations in renewable energy.

Renewable energy advocates worry that a state fund that has fueled the growth of Vermont's clean energy industry is running out of money. Gov. Peter Shumlin says he has a plan to replenish the fund through a new generation tax on Vermont Yankee.

The Vermont House has given its preliminary approval to legislation that creates new renewable energy portfolio standards for utilities.

The Shumlin administration and legislative leaders have proposed a major overhaul in how Vermont encourages renewable energy. The effort has touched off a debate about who actually benefits from Vermont's existing clean power projects.

Author Austin Troy believes cities that develop the greatest efficiencies might become the most economically viable, the Valley News' John Gregg analyzes the New Hampshire primary results and we sort through our listener mailbag.

Governor Peter Shumlin's administration wants the state to get 90 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2050.

Senator Bernie Sanders and Governor Peter Shumlin announced a three-year partnership Monday morning with the Sandia National Laboratory.

The state's draft comprehensive energy plan says Vermont should develop renewable sources of power as a way to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. But the plan also highlights a fossil fuel - natural gas - as a possible energy source if a pipeline were extended down the western side of the state. The plan is now under fire from critics who say burning more natural gas conflicts with the state's goal to reduce carbon emissions.

Vermont's draft Comprehensive Energy Plan sets a goal of 90 percent renewable energy sources by 2050.

As solar power projects in Vermont ramp, some are questioning the economics of the technology, saying its a bad deal for both ratepayers and taxpayers.

The Shumlin Administration says the federal government gave the state high marks for how it used stimulus funds on energy projects. Vermont got about $31 million to reduce energy consumption and develop renewable resources.