Vail Resorts Turns To Wind To Power Properties, Headquarters

Vail Resorts has announced it will offset all of its energy use by purchasing nearly 152,000 megawatt-hours of wind energy annually for its five mountain resorts, lodging properties, 125 retail locations and its corporate headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado.

Vail Resorts is now the second largest purchaser of wind power of all corporations in the United States. Whole Foods is currently the largest purchaser of wind power in the U.S., utilizing more then 450,000 megawatts per year for all its power consumption.

“Our core mission is to provide extraordinary vacation experiences in spectacular mountain settings,” said Rob Katz, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “By embracing wind power as a clean and renewable source for 100 percent of our company's electricity use, we want to reinforce our commitment to the natural environment in which we operate and be a leader on this critical effort within the travel industry.”

Through Vail's utilization of wind power, more than 200 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions will be eliminated, the equivalent of taking 18,000 cars off the road or planting more than 27,000 acres of trees, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Vail is urging its customers to also sign up for wind power by offering a voucher for a complimentary lift ticket upon signing a one-year commitment with Renewable Choice Energy.