Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski area in California has announced that all of its electricity will be purchased from Liberty Utilities’ nearby solar generation plant in Luning, Nevada, making the resort’s electricity supply 100% renewable.
The move, which begins on December 1st, follows California Public Utilities Commission approved Liberty Utilities’ application for a Green Tariff in July, allowing local customers to purchase renewable electricity for their homes or businesses at a nominal price per kilowatt hour, the proceeds of which Liberty Utilities uses to develop new renewable energy projects.
By signing on to the Green Tariff, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will become Liberty’s largest Green Tariff customer, contributing approximately $325,000 in additional dollars on its electric bill in the first year to help accelerate the transition to affordable renewable energy sources for the utility’s 49,000 customers in the region. The Green Tariff is available to all Liberty Utilities customers and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will continue to advocate for its adoption within the larger community.
With this change, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will almost half its total annual carbon footprint, including fuels and other sources unrelated to the power grid, from 13,078 metric tons to an estimated 6,682 metric tons – a 49 percent reduction, which is equivalent to the emissions generated by the annual electrical use of 959 homes.
