On February 28th, Stowe Electric Department (SED) hosted officials from the VT Public Service Department (PSD) as part of Governor Phil Scott’s "Capital for a Day" tour of Lamoille County. PSD Commissioner Kerrick Johnson was joined by PSD staffers TJ Poor, Alek Antczak, and Hunter Thompson, as well as Department of Labor (DOL) Workforce Development Business Services Manager Nermin Elezovic.
Launched in 2018, the Governor’s “Capital for a Day” initiative visits each of Vermont’s 14 counties to deepen connections with local constituents, municipal leaders, and community partners. These visits are an opportunity for state officials to see local challenges and successes firsthand, and for Vermonters to share how state decisions made in Montpelier are impacting communities in every corner of Vermont.
The Stowe Electric Department visit began with an in-depth roundtable discussion about utility infrastructure projects and resiliency initiatives, which support an equitable clean energy transition for all Stowe Electric customers. After the discussion, SED staff provided a tour of the Stowe Electric campus. The visit included a big-picture overview of SED’s upcoming micro-hydro project, which will produce clean, renewable energy and offer on-bill credits for income-qualified customers. The PSD team also received a preview of the future SED Emergency Operations Center, which will enhance the utility’s ability to respond to outages and emergencies. The guests also visited the historic 1822 Seaver Sawmill located on SED’s campus, which is a notable landmark in Stowe’s rich history.
The tour continued atop Cady Hill, where SED staff showcased the utility’s new storage facility adjacent to the Wilkins Substation. Commissioner Johnson and his team were briefed on the ongoing Wilkins Substation upgrade as well as the upcoming Mountain Road Express Circuit resiliency project. This important initiative is aimed at improving resilience and decreasing restoration times during outages along Mountain Road, which serves as a vital commercial corridor for the Stowe community and Lamoille County.
The visit was an excellent opportunity for the PSD team to gain insight into SED's operations and upcoming projects. Commissioner Johnson and his team expressed appreciation for the innovative work being done by Stowe Electric.