Vail Resorts to Go 100% Renewable By 2030

Under a plan for 100% renewability, this could be your typical ski run someday soon. Ruth Hartnup/Flickr Creative Commons photo. 

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Vail Resorts announced recently their intent to drastically cut the environmental impact of their operations and to go to 100% renewable energy sources (wind, solar) by 2030. 

According to the Denver Post, in addition to moving completely to renewables by the ambitious target year, Vail aims to eliminate landfill waste and offset forest impacts as part of the "Epic Promise For A Zero Footprint" initiative. 

Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz recently unveiled the initiative to a group of employees, and clarified that the decision to make the Epic Promise isn't just a matter of ethics, but also good for the companies' bottom line. 

“Committing to green energy is not only good for the environment, but it’s good for business,” Katz told the Post. “We talk about an environmental goal of needing to use less, but that’s an important business goal too. It means we are being smart about not only the resources we use inside the company, but also how we use any resources outside the company … particularly when the environment is both our product and our passion.”

As a ski-industry goliath that's been gobbling up acquisitions for the past few years, the company is now large enough that their choices will have big downstream ripple effects for the ski industry, and beyond. "Our size and scale helps," explained Katz. 

All this comes as major shifts are taking place in the outdoor Industry, with Outdoor Retailer uprooting from Salt Lake City (and relocating to Denver) to combat the Utah's Republican politicians' preference for energy extraction at the expense of outdoor recreation and conservation.

After Katz's announcement, Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet issued a statement applauding the Epic Promise.

“Colorado businesses continue to lead the fight against climate change because they know how important clean energy and conservation efforts are to growing our economy and protecting the planet for our children,” Bennet wrote. “It is because of leadership like this throughout our state that Colorado is the epicenter of outdoor recreation.” 

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stash member Sam Morse

TGR Editor-at-Large. author of The Ski Town Fairytale and creative behind The Bumion. Lover of steep-and-deep lines, long trails—and hot springs waiting in the distance.