Crested Butte, Okemo, Mount Sunapee resorts going green with energy

Crested Butte, Okemo, Mount Sunapee resorts going green with energy{mosimage}LUDLOW, Vermont — Tim and Diane Mueller, owners of Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont, Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado and New Hampshire’s Mount Sunapee Resort, have entered into an agreement with the Gunnison County Electric Association to purchase enough renewable energy to fully offset the annual use of electricity at their three resorts.

The Muellers are purchasing 27 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy certificates from Sterling Planet — the nation’s leading retail renewable energy provider — through GCEA, a member-owned, non-profit cooperative located in Colorado.

“Protection of the environment is one of our core values. It is also very important to our guests,” Tim Mueller said. “We have the ability to demonstrate that Okemo, Mount Sunapee and Crested Butte are good community and corporate citizens working toward energy independence for America through clean, renewable sources like wind energy.”

This purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates will supply the Muellers’ three resorts with enough energy to power all electrical needs for the next year. It will save an estimated 18,800 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. This is equivalent to emissions produced by the annual electricity consumption of approximately 2,200 average homes or carbon dioxide emissions associated with the combustion of 1.9 million gallons of gasoline.

Additionally, the Muellers will participate in Sterling Planet’s innovative program called Investment for the Greater Good, a collaborative partnership between the Colorado Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation and Sterling Planet to reinvest in Colorado-based renewable energy resources.

“We believe in investing in our future, the environment and reducing our nation’s dependency on foreign oil. It’s the right thing to do,” Mueller said. “We will be paying a 10 percent premium on the purchase amount of renewable energy certificates for Crested Butte to promote Colorado wind energy development.”

The benefits of this purchase extend far beyond the environment, according to Mel Jones, president and CEO of Sterling Planet.

“Buying Renewable Energy Certificates also boosts energy diversity, stimulates the renewable energy market and benefits local economies in the vicinity of renewable energy generators,” Jones said. “Sterling Planet is pleased to team with the Muellers, offering a way to demonstrate their environmental leadership and establish a model precedent.”