As per Vail Resorts, this is part of its ‘Commitment to Zero’, whereby it will power 100% of its North American operations from renewable energy. The PPA has been signed for 12 years. The electricity to be supplied to Vail Resorts annually will be enough to power nearly 33,000 average US homes.
Vail Resorts chairman and CEO Rob Katz said: “As a growing company, deeply connected to the outdoors, we made a commitment last year to address our most pressing global and environmental challenges and protect our local communities and natural resources.
“Today we are thrilled to announce significant initiatives that will help us achieve our zero net emissions and zero waste to landfill goals, and provide a transparent look at our progress through our first EpicPromise Progress Report.”
Plum Creek Wind project is a 230MW wind farm, located in Wayne County, Nebraska. This wind farm is expected to come online in 2020. It will generate enough renewable energy to power up to 100,000 US homes each year.
Construction phase of the wind farm is expected to create nearly 250 jobs and once it is operational, 7-10 permanent jobs overseeing operations and maintenance will be created, Lincoln Clean Energy stated.
Lincoln Clean Energy CEO Declan Flanagan said: “I applaud Vail Resort’s commitment to a zero net operating footprint. The Plum Creek Wind project not only helps them to deliver on this goal but will also result in millions of dollars in local community benefits where the project is being developed.”
Schneider Electric Energy & Sustainability Services acted as a strategic advisor to Vail Resorts on the selection of the Plum Creek project.
At local level, Vail Resorts has signed a contract with Xcel Energy in Colorado to support a new solar energy facility. It is also sponsoring Rocky Mountain Power’s request for proposal for 308,000MWh of renewable energy, which could significantly increase the amount of solar, wind, and geothermal projects in Utah.
