Renewable Energy
Harnessing Colorado's Sunshine
In summer 2008, Vail Mountain partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and Holy Cross Electric Company to harness Colorado sunshine for its energy needs in several public buildings at the top of the Eagle Bahn gondola. Vail Mountain installed an 8.4-kilowatt photovoltaic system consisting of 42 200-watt panels on the roof of Bailey's restaurant at Adventure Ridge. This new highly efficient system provides enough solar energy to power the entire building, and the excess electricity will light other facilities at Eagle's Nest. It's just one more step in our Company's commitment to using renewable energy.
100% Powered By Wind Credits
In August 2006, Vail Resorts made a commitment to offset 100% of our companywide energy use by purchasing 151,311 megawatt-hours of wind energy credits annually for our five mountain resorts; our lodging properties including eight RockResort hotels and spas and nearly 2,000 additional hotel and condominiums; Grand Teton Lodging Company; all of its retail/rental locations (operated through Specialty Sports Venture); and, our corporate headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado.
While sufficient wind energy was not available in Colorado, we were able to offset our total electricity use by partnering with a number of wind farms across the country through a system of renewable energy credits that brings together suppliers and buyers of wind energy. It is important to note that our purchase of renewable energy credits is a commitment we make in addition to paying our utility costs and finding ways to increase our overall energy efficiency. As part of our comprehensive strategy to support energy conservation and renewable energy, we also continue to explore ways to reduce energy use throughout all of our operations by supplementing them with other renewable energy technologies such as solar infrastructure, micro-hydro turbines and geothermal heating.
We are proud to be the largest purchaser of 100% wind energy credits in the travel and leisure industry in the United States.
Click below for the video webcast featuring CEO Rob Katz of the announcement of our 100% wind power purchase:
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What is a REC?
A renewable energy credit (also known as "Green Tag") is a legal representation of a measured amount of renewable energy entering the energy system. A REC represents one Megawatt-hour of renewable energy entering the power grid and displacing energy that would have been produced through burning fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas. Each REC reduces approximately 1,400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. When an individual or company purchases RECs, they are paying a voluntary premium in order to support more renewable energy in the system. As a result, they get to claim the legal credit for supporting the environmental results associated with their purchase. Their dollars help to increase the amount of renewable energy in the system and reduce pollution.
1 REC (Green Tag) = 1 Megawatt-hour (or 1,000 kWh) of clean energy< BR > 1 REC (Green Tag) = 1,400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions offset
Source: Sustainable Travel International and Center for Resource Solutions
Seeking Renewable Energy Options
Not content to rest on our laurels, we're continually searcfing for ways to replace our existing power needs with cleaner energy sources. Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., selected Julie Klein, Director of Environmental Affairs for RockResorts and Vail Resorts Hospitality, to participate in their 2008 Executive Energy Leadership program as one of 19 Colorado business and goverment leaders. The six-month program is designed to educate business and government leaders about clean energy solutions for their businesses and local economies. It will give them an in-depth look at renewable utility applications, biofuels and transportation, energy efficient building applications and future energy markets. Briefings by technology experts, research laboratory tours and visits to field applications are part of the classroom experience. At the conclusion of the program, participants are asked to present a viable project on a renewable energy or energy efficiency application that could be implemented by their organization.
