MOUNT SUNAPEE RESORT ADDS BIODIESEL FUELS TO ITS INTEGRATED ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mount Sunapee Resort
Newbury, NH
Bruce McCloy, Director of Marketing and Sales
(603) 763-3500 or bmccloy@mtsunapee.com

Newbury, NH – (October 15, 2007) – Mount Sunapee Resort will start using Biodiesel fuels in its resort operations this winter.  Biodiesel B-20 will be used in snow grooming equipment and snow removal heavy equipment. Biodiesel B-5 will be used to heat base lodges and buildings.

Biodiesel is the most recent addition to Mount Sunapee’s expanding energy management program.  Other components in Mount Sunapee’s overall energy management program include using wind energy, energy efficiency programs and on-going recycling efforts.

New this year in Mount Sunapee’s energy efficiency program is the purchase of 18 new HKD high-efficiency snowmaking guns.  These new snow guns will make snow at higher temperatures which will result in fewer hours of operation by diesel air compressors.

Mount Sunapee will also be using wind energy again this year.  Along with sister resorts Okemo Mountain in Vermont and Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, Mount Sunapee renewed last year’s agreement to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) for wind energy from Sterling Planet to off-set 100% of its electrical power consumption. REC ensure that the entire amount of electrical energy used by the three resorts is replaced onto the power grid with wind energy.

Mount Sunapee is also enrolled in the ISO-New England “Emergency Demand Response Program.”  This program is designed to quickly reduce the electrical load on the New England electrical grid in the event of a region-wide electrical emergency situation.  Mount Sunapee has agreed to shed 100% of its snowmaking load within 30 minutes should ISO-New England call an emergency between November and March.  Mount Sunapee’s superior snowmaking firepower allows the resort to participate in this program without affecting the quality of the snow surfaces at the resort.

“Mount Sunapee’s energy management program is constantly evolving as new products and opportunities become available,” said General Manager Jay Gamble. “Our goal is to reduce our total energy consumption, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to use sustainable and renewable energy sources when possible.”