Company officials did not disclose how much they spent on energy costs each year, but did admit their typical usage would fuel a small town. Although Vail officials say their changes are due to "customer demand," they also admit being concerned over mountain snowmelt due to global warming. Without profitable cold weather, Vail will have a hard time attracting skiers in the future.
Officials said that instead of building wind turbines at the actual resort, Vail will purchase wind power credits from out-of-state suppliers through Renewable Choice Energy. Renewable Choice then feeds the energy into a national electric grid. Vail Resorts will still be using coal power to fuel machinery.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that Vail is the second largest corporation to switch to wind energy. Advocates hope that Vail's decision will sway other companies to follow in their footsteps.
Supporters of renewable energy say that often what prevents wind power from becoming common are political difficulties, not technical or financial ones. Wind energy requires large start-up costs, but after the initial investment, the clean energy source is virtually free.
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