Park City Mountain Resort Receives Environmental Honor

Park City Mountain Resort ends 2008 being recognized by numerous green advocate groups for its environmental initiatives. Most recently, the Resort received an Energy Star Business Certification for its Team Building as well as an A ranking from the Ski Area Citizens Coalition (SACC), and the Clif Bar Silver Eagle Award for Excellence in Energy Conservation and Clean Energy. Park City Mountain Resort shares the honor of the 2008 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with its parent company, Powdr Corp. Park City Mountain Resort is overjoyed to be recognized with such prestigious awards for our work towards environmental sustainability, said Brent Giles, director of environmental affairs for Park City Mountain Resort. Everyone from our team members to our guests has contributed to the success of the resort environmental stewardship. The acknowledgement from these green leaders is a great indicator that the environmental work we do is a true step towards becoming more carbon neutral and we hope to continue to lead by example. Park City Mountain Resort Team Building, located at 1310 Lowell Avenue, was awarded the Energy Star for Business Certification. Energy Star is the mark of superior energy performance and identifies a building as one the most efficient in the nation. Park City Mountain Resort Team Building is the only building in Park City that is currently listed under this prestigious designation. Park City Mountain Resort once again scored an A ranking from the Ski Area Citizens Coalition (SACC). The SACC gives grades to western U.S. ski resorts based on their environmental policies and practices. The scorecard was created to allow skiers to choose a resort based on its genuine positive environmental stewardship records. This is the second year in a row that Park City Mountain Resort received an A ranking. Park City Mountain Resort received one of the nation top environmental awards, the Silver Eagle Award for Excellence in Energy Conservation and Clean Energy. After Park City Mountain Resort completed the first-ever comprehensive scientific study of global warming effect on a resort and the greater Utah snow sports industry, it began an on-going effort to reduce its electricity use, which accounts for 86 percent of its carbon footprint. Through initiatives that include the purchase of more energy-efficient snowmaking equipment, lighting retrofits, and bio-diesel use in its snowcat fleet, the resort reduced its energy consumption by 23 percent. Following the win of the Silver Eagle Award, Park City Mountain Resort in conjunction with Powdr Corp, furthered its commitment to being a conservation leader with the purchase of renewable energy credits to offset power consumption by 100 percent. The Resort purchase of 13.9 million kWh of renewable energy credits (RECs) avoids nearly 19 million pounds of CO2 emissions annually, which is equal to removing 1,853 passenger vehicles from the road or powering 1,100 average American homes for a year. As a result, Powdr Corp was one of only nine organizations nationwide to receive a Leadership Award in the Green Power Purchasing category by the U.S. EPA. This award recognizes EPA Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through purchases of green power from a utility green-pricing program, a competitive green marketer, or a renewable energy credit (REC) supplier. The annual energy consumption of a ski resort is substantial, and we have a responsibility to reduce the carbon footprint of our resorts to help preserve their pristine settings for generations to come, said Giles. While this switch to renewable energy will be invisible to the guest, skiers and riders can enjoy peace of mind knowing that all of Park City Mountain Resort electricity is now coming from 100 percent renewable sources. Since 2005, Park City Mountain Resort environmental initiatives have reduced and offset 30 million pounds of CO2 emissions, reducing its carbon footprint by 97 percent. To learn more about all of Park City Mountain Resort environmental initiatives, visit www.saveoursnow.net. About Park City Mountain Resort Park City Mountain Resort, the most accessible mountain resort in North America, is located in the heart of Park City, Utah and is only a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. With 3,300 acres of unspoiled terrain, the Resort offers groomed Signature Runs, bumps, powder, trees, eight peaks, nine bowls, four terrain parks, and the Eagle Superpipe. Park City Mountain Resort was once again ranked a Top-five resort by the readers of SKI magazine and a Top-ten resort by the readers of Skiing, Freeskier and Transworld Snowboarding magazines. As part of its overall environmental commitment, Park City Mountain Resort is powered by 100 percent renewable energy. The Resort invested $10.5 million in improvements for the 2008-09 winter season, adding a new high-speed lift, renovations to on-mountain dining, expanded snowmaking and a new run. For more information, visit parkcitymountain.com or call (800) 222-PARK.