The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has released its eighth Sustainable Slopes Annual Report detailing the U.S. ski and snowboard resort industry’s progress in implementing the principles of its Environmental Charter during the 2007-08 winter season.
The primary focus of the Sustainable Slopes program this season was continuing to promote the industry’s Green Power program that supports renewable energy purchases and development by resorts and resort guests.
To date, 68 U.S. ski resorts are now purchasing green energy for their operations through renewable energy credits. Of these resorts, 34 are offsetting 100 percent of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Collectively, these resorts are purchasing more than 351,381,000 kilowatts (kWh) of green power annually resulting in the avoidance of 499,499,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2). To add perspective to these CO2 reductions, it is reported that eliminating 25 pounds of CO2 emissions each year is equal to planting one tree. Collectively, ski resort green power purchases are equal to planting more than 20 million trees.
Eliminating 2,530 pounds of CO2 emissions is equivalent to avoiding one round-trip airplane flight from New York to San Francisco. Collectively, the green power purchases are equal to avoiding more than 197,000 round-trip flights between New York and San Francisco.
Park City, Utah-based Powdr Corp., operators of Park City Mountain Resort, Killington Resort in Vermont, Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor Resort and the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort, among others, is among those ski resort operators turning to 100% renewable energy.
The company in April announced its plans to purchase 50 million kWh of renewable energy credits (RECs) that began in June.
“We are passionate about the snowsports industry and the quality of life it provides to our families, team members and guests,” said Brent Giles, director of environmental affairs for Powdr Corp.
Our commitment to offset 100 percent of our resorts power from renewable energy sources is another step in the right direction to sustain our mountain lifestyle for years to come.”
The Colorado ski resort town of Breckenridge in April purchased 6,511 RECs to offset the electrical energy consumption of its infrastructure.
Our community is a unique resource and we want to work together to sustain it,” said Tim Gagen, town manager for the Town of Breckenridge. “Purchasing wind energy offsets is one of the arrows in the quiver of all of the things we’ve been doing. Both the Town Council and the employees supported this initiative.”
Some ski resorts in the U.S. have taken renewable energy a step further. Jiminy Peak Resort in western Massachusetts is the continent’s first to build its own wind turbine to help power the resort and pump energy back into the grid. Kirkwood Mountain Resort, south of Lake Tahoe in California, has partnered with its utility provider Mountain Utilities to plan a wind energy farm for the ski resort and residents in the Kirkwood Valley.
Jiminy Peak’s project to build its 1.5 megawatt GE wind turbine, dubbed “Zephyr” took three years and $3.9 million and is expected to pay for itself within seven year. The turbine, which a 328 feet is taller than the Statue of Liberty, was expected to reduce the ski resort’s energy costs by 49.4 percent in 2007-08, according to Jiminy Peak president and CEO Brian Fairbank.
To date, 187 U.S. ski resorts have endorsed the NSAA Environmental Charter, representing over 75 percent of the ski resorts nationally by skier visits. Upon endorsing the Charter, these resorts have identified an environmental contact person, assessed their policies and operations against the Environmental Principles in the Charter, and have taken steps toward improved environmental performance.