No. There has been no public activity by the power plant promoters or the two natural gas pipeline companies in Vermont in the past week. As far as we know, Tom Macaulay and Vermont Energy Park Holdings are still pursuing obtaining an estimated $800,000,000 in financing for the power plants. Iroquois Gas Transmission and Energy East Corporation / New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) are waiting for that financing before proceeding. It is still the intention of the New York companies to use the private property of Vermonters for their pipeline route. They have not withdrawn their plans.

Given the magnitude of the opposition to this project throughout southwestern Vermont, we find ourselves wondering why it isn't dead yet. Is there a hidden agenda, something they're not telling us, something we're missing?

Yes. We believe that Vermont is a stepping stone for Energy East to access New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. Those are significant markets that they are not about to give up without a prolonged fight. But don't take our word for it. Here are excerpts from various newspaper articles, press releases, and Energy East's web site:

• On September 4, 1998, George Bonner, vice president for natural gas operations and marketing at Energy East, talked in the Rutland Herald about expanding northward into Middlebury and "from there on we'll take it a step at a time to serve as much of the state as we can."
  
  
• On September 25, 1998, readers of the Rutland Herald learned that Vermont Gas Systems said they would not challenge Energy East's franchise in Vermont and "may want to buy some of the gas for its own use," according to John Marshall, lawyer for Vermont Gas Systems.
  
  
• Energy East's web site says, "We are at the forefront of the restructuring of the energy market." Their most recent acquisition of Berkshire Energy Resources "makes good strategic sense," according to chairman, president and chief executive officer of Energy East, Wes von Schack. "It complements our growth strategies, particularly in Vermont and New Hampshire."
  
  
• The web site goes on the note that "Energy East Corporation is a super-regional energy services and delivery company in the Northeast. Upon completion of this acquisition and its mergers with Connecticut Energy Corporation, CMP Group (Central Maine Power), and CTG Resources -- and including its current energy delivery subsidiary, NYSEG -- Energy East will serve more than 1.3 million electricity customers and nearly 600,000 natural gas customers in New York and New England."
  
  
• According to Mr. von Schack, "Upon completion of the transactions, Energy East will have the scale and critical mass necessary to succeed in today's ever-changing energy marketplace. Energy East will become one of the largest energy providers in the Northeast."

Vermont is a target for Energy East. If they need these Vermont power plants in order for it to be financially viable to make their way into and through Vermont on their way to New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, we should be prepared for the reconfiguration of this project, perhaps with other power plant developers or different locations or sizes of the power plants. What makes this pipeline project through Vermont different from the other gas pipelines already in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont or Massachusetts is that it brings in the increased supply of the Iroquois pipeline.

Energy East is the company that has been doing business in Vermont under the name "Southern Vermont Natural Gas." They are the company that

• asked for waivers from Planning Commissions of a 45-day waiting period required by Vermont law
• asked for letters of support from selectboards
• collected lists of property owners
• used those lists to summon property owners to closed door meetings, excluding the public and the media, in order to gain access to private property
• drew lines on private property, and then left the state saying "everything is on hold", leaving those lines in place.

Unfortunately for property owners in southwestern Vermont, Energy East has a long-term plan and at the Danby public hearing on the gas project, Bruce Roloson of Energy East/NYSEG indicated their commitment to the present pipeline route. It makes the best economic sense for them; they have assessed that it is the cheapest route.

Is having Energy East as a monopoly supplier to and through Vermont in the best interests of the people of Vermont? Vermonters are at a critical juncture in determining our energy future. Never before has there been such an opportunity to take action that will affect generations to come. Whether or not we get our energy from natural gas, power plants that burn huge quantities of fossil fuels, windmills, solar panels, hydro power, or nuclear power is a decision that we have the right and responsibility to be a part of. Whether or not our private property can be taken for a for-profit venture is up to us.