New York's state-owned ski resorts are going all-in on renewable energy.
According to Lake Placid News, Belleayre, Gore and Whiteface ski areas have committed to relying completely on renewable resources by 2030.
All three resorts-Belleayre Ski Center in the Catskill Mountains; the Adirondacks' Gore Mountain Ski Resort; Whiteface Mountain-have pledged to join the Climate Reality Project's "I Am Pro Snow" campaign. The initiative is also part of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's broader Clean Energy Standard effort, which aims for half the state's electricity to be generated by renewable resources by 2030.
Cuomo's proposed 2018 state budget has recommended $28 million in upgrades to the ski resorts. Of that, $20 million would be allocated to Gore and Whiteface Mountains, with the remaining $8 million to go to Belleayre.
"With this commitment, (the ski resorts) are joining New York's nation-leading efforts to fight climate change, reduce our carbon footprint and foster the development of renewable resources," Cuomo said in a press release earlier this month.
"This commitment to New York's future, along with landmark new state investments in these facilities, will help ensure these resorts' continued vitality for generations to come."
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"As leaders in the ski industry, it is our responsibility to be stewards of the environment," said New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) interim president Mike Pratt in his own statement via News10. "Over the past several years, each of ORDA's managed ski resorts have taken steps towards becoming even more environmentally friendly and efficient."
According to ORDA's 2015-16 annual report, Belleayre recorded just 75,250 visits during the 2015-16 season and generated more than $3.6 million in revenue. The figures were down significantly from 2014-15 due to unseasonably warm temperatures and a lack of natural snowfall.
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