Sustainability

SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

In partnership with developer, Green Lantern Solar, Sugarbush is an off taker of a total of 2.75 megawatts of solar energy across eight different solar arrays in Vermont including one at Sugarbush in Parking Lot F. These solar systems produce approximately 4.75 million kWh of electricity or about 47% of our total annual electricity usage.

100% CARBON-FREE ELECTRICITY

In addition to supporting solar development, Green Mountain Power now supplies Sugarbush with 100% carbon-free sourced electricity.

ENERGY EFFICIENT SNOWMAKING

Every year, we replace components of our snowmaking system to make snow more efficiently while reducing the amount of compressed air, energy, and water needed. The resort consumption approximately 33% less electricity now than compared to 10 years ago without compromising either the quality or quantity of snow.

DECARBONIZATION OF OUR HEATING SYSTEMS

We are installing energy efficient electric heat pump HVAC systems which reduce fossil fuel consumption for heating. The Lodge at Lincoln Peak, Mt Ellen Base Lodge, The Farmhouse, Clay Brook, and the Day School are the first facilities with heat pumps.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

We are replacing fossil fuel powered vehicles with EVs. In 2024, we purchased our first all-electric truck and snowmobile with more EVs planned.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS

Level 2 EV chargers are available for guests at Mt Ellen, Lincoln Peak, and in the Clay Brook Hotel parking garage so that guests can drive EVs with confidence to and from the resort.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Green Mountain Transit provides free winter public transportation around Sugarbush and throughout the Mad River Valley on the Mad Bus giving guests and employees the opportunity to leave their vehicles at home.

LED LIGHTING

Every base lodge and the SHaRC have been retrofitted with efficient LED lighting.

WASTE DIVERSION
We strive to reduce single-use products and divert as much waste from the landfill as possible. Our recycling and composting programs now keep approximately 40% of our total waste out of the landfill.

HOUSEKEEPING

Our housekeeping team uses bulk cleaning and hygiene products and participates in Clean the World, a program which collects and recycles discarded soap and plastic amenity bottles from our lodging and distributes soap worldwide to support communities vulnerable to hygiene-related illnesses.

FOREST AND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLANS

Portions of Sugarbush Resort are located on leased National Forest System lands and are operated under a Special Use Permit issued by the Green Mountain National Forest. The rest of the resort lands are privately held by Sugarbush Mountain Resort and operated under State of Vermont land use and environmental permits. We have both Vegetation and Forest Management Plans to balance forest and plant health, wildlife diversity and habitat, water and air quality and ski area operations.

HABITAT PROTECTION

From protecting and restoring sensitive high-elevation habitat home to the threatened Bicknell’s Thrush, limiting activity in critical wildlife habitat for black bears, and restoring local stream riparian zones, Sugarbush is committed to protecting our mountain ecosystems.

STROMWATER AND STREAM REPAIR

Stormwater is precipitation (snowmelt and rainwater) that runs off impervious surfaces rather than infiltrating into the soil. Stormwater management techniques are employed throughout the resort to remove pollutants, and slow, spread and sink stormwater back into the ground before it enters the watershed. We have completed amulti-year water-quality remediation planwhich has resulted in the clean-up of several important high-elevation streams at the resort including Rice and Gadd Brooks.

DRINKING WATER

Our Mountain Water Company is committed to providing safe, clean drinking water to resort guests. Resort drinking water comes from the Clay Brook and fourteen bedrock wells, where water is pumped using energy-efficient pumping technology.

WASTEWATER

Wastewater (sewer) from the resort is separated and cleaned through a carefully controlled and monitored process that involves collection, filtration, aeration, and disinfection. Lincoln Peak Wastewater Treatment and Mountain Wastewater Treatment are our two large facilities that process waste back into clean water.