First US Ski Resort to Operate on 100 Percent Renewable Energy

Climate ActionThe famous Lake Tahoe resorts in California will be the first ski facilities in the US to operate on 100 percent renewable energy, eliminating emissions which would be a threat to the industry’s future.The owner company Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows’ has partnered with the electric service provider Liberty Utilities to identify and develop new renewable energy generation, storage and efficiency projects to benefit the two Lake Tahoe resorts as well as the entire Olympic Valley area.Andy Wirth, president and COO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, said: “Solar power has come down in cost so much that it’s accessible now. It’s a purely economic decision. And it’s also about how we operate sustainably long into the future”.“We’re glad to finally advance on this key, strategic level changeover to 100 percent renewable-sourced energy”, he added.After it meets 100 percent of its energy needs, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows expects to halve its carbon footprint. More specifically, its annual carbon emissions will reduce from 13,078 to approximately 6,682 metric tonnes- a decrease of 49 percent generating carbon savings equivalent to the electric use of 957 homes.Read the full story.