New England Ski Resorts Invest in Energy-Efficient Upgrades

02/12/2014

According to Lisa Rathke of the Associated Press, energy-saving program Efficiency Vermont has helped ski resorts all over the state make huge strides, with 2,300 new energy-efficient snowmaking guns replacing older wasteful ones.

Since Mother Nature doesn't always cooperate, ski resorts often rely on technology to create snow-covered slopes for their guests. As a result, popular ski resorts across the northeast United States are investing millions in energy-efficient snowmaking devices.

"This is an opportunity to kind of in one swoop take advantage of the fact that if all of those ski areas in Vermont banded together, we can actually drive even better deals with manufacturers," said Efficiency Vermont spokeswoman Kelly Lucci.

The new snowmaking guns use roughly 90 percent less electricity than the previously-used models, theoretically saving enough electricity to power 1,500 homes in Vermont over the course of a year, per Rathke.

Vermont-based ski resorts spent $10 million on the new machines, but were assisted by Efficiency Vermont, which contributed $5 million to the effort.

Among those resorts, Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, benefited greatly from the program, acquiring more than 350 new snow guns.

"It's great to have natural snow and we love that, but when we don't have that, we depend on putting out a good snow product for our guests so that they'll come," said Sugarbush spokeswoman Candice White.

"It's great to be able to make the quantity of snow that we can make and also the quality. The quality's gotten a lot better with these efficient guns," White added.

But the move to more energy-efficient machines hasn't been exclusive to Vermont. Resorts in Maine and New Hampshire have also begun making the switch to newer low-cost technology as the benefits of doing so are undeniable.

Ski Maine Association executive director Greg Sweetser says "snowmaking technology has taken a huge leap forward in the past few years and the result shows in the short amount of time this ski area goes from a grass-covered trail, to a total winter scene."

In addition to the aforementioned benefits, the new machines will allow ski resorts to open up more slopes earlier in the season and also treat guests to a better quality of snow overall.

With renewable energy having become a hot-button issue in the U.S. in recent years, successful transitions like the ones in Vermont and other parts of New England not only bode well for the future of ski resorts, but appear promising in terms of preserving the environment.

Travelpulse.com

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