Vail Resorts Nears 100 Percent Renewable Electricity Goal with Large-Scale Wind Farm
In 2018, Vail Resorts announced a partnership with global renewable energy leader, Ørsted, to enable the Plum Creek Wind project, based in Wayne County, Nebraska. The amount of wind energy Vail Resorts committed to purchase was equivalent to 100 percent of the Company’s North American electricity usage at the time. Since then, the Company has acquired 17 smaller ski areas in the U.S. and now has resorts across 15 states and three countries.
This virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) was the first of its kind to be executed by a Colorado-based company as a buyer. VPPAs have been widely recognized as one of the most effective ways geographically diverse companies can bring more renewable energy to the grid.
“We are incredibly proud to enable Ørsted’s Plum Creek Wind project and to support the generation of new renewable energy,” said Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts. “This wind energy agreement addresses the majority of the emissions associated with our company’s electricity use. We are thrilled with this progress and remain committed to achieving our 100 percent renewable electricity goal, even as our company grows.”
“Setting bold operational sustainability goals, and finding innovative ways to reach them, is a priority for us at Vail Resorts,” said Kate Wilson, senior director of sustainability at Vail Resorts. “Along with local efforts, VPPAs are an important way for large companies to have a measurable impact on climate change. Reaching our Commitment to Zero energy goals will require a multi-pronged strategy and bringing new, renewable energy to the grid is a key way we’ll get there.”
In addition to the Plum Creek Wind project, Vail Resorts supports renewable energy efforts in the communities in which it operates. At a local level, Vail Resorts is a sponsor of Xcel Energy’s new solar energy facility in Colorado through the Renewable Connect program. The Company has also been an advocate for Rocky Mountain Power’s 308,000 MWh renewable energy project, which will lead to a significant increase in the amount of green energy in Utah.
Vail Resorts has also committed to investing $25 million in innovative, energy-saving projects between FY2017 and FY2030 in three key areas: snowmaking, buildings, and lifts. Over the last two years, the Company invested nearly $5 million in these projects, which has included 400 new low-energy snowguns, LED lighting retrofits, and updated building controls.
This article originally appeared on Powder.com and was republished with permission.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/3gVKy3I
0 comments