Why: Glenwood Springs is becoming seventh city in the nation to be powered by 100% renewable electricity (see details below)
What: Signing of contract with state and local dignitaries
When: Wednesday, May 29, 2 p.m.
Where: Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
51000 Two Rivers Plaza Road, Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601
The contract will be signed at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, the mountain-top theme park overlooking Glenwood Springs, which becomes one of the first amusement parks in the country to be powered by 100% renewable energy.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (May 27, 2019) — Glenwood Springs, Colorado, joins an elite group June 1, 2019, as it becomes the seventh city in the U.S. to be powered by all renewable energy. Glenwood Springs City Council unanimously approved resolution 2019-22 at the April 18, 2019, City Council meeting to purchase all of Glenwood Springs Electric’s electricity from clean wind power from the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN).
The contract between the City and MEAN will be signed on Wednesday, May 29, at 2 p.m. at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, the mountain-top theme park that overlooks the City from atop Iron Mountain. The public is invited to join state and local dignitaries, including Glenwood Springs Mayor Jonathan Godes and Cathy Ritter, director of the Colorado Tourism Office, to celebrate this momentous achievement. Gondola rides to the park will be free from 1 to 2 p.m., and complimentary refreshments will be served. The first 50 people to arrive will receive free LED lightbulbs from CLEER, Clean Energy Economy for the Region, which implements programs for the City.
“We are very excited to announce that Glenwood Springs will soon be operated on 100% renewable electricity, making us the second municipality in Colorado to do so. Many cities and towns across the country have set aggressive targets, and we are doing our part now—our future is now,” said Mayor Jonathan Godes.
This contract will make Glenwood Springs Electric 100% renewable electricity; MEAN is bringing on the equivalent wind power onto its grid to provide for all of the electricity in Glenwood Springs. As other communities follow in Glenwood’s path, MEAN will increase the total renewables on the grid benefiting all the members.
Long a leader in sustainable energy, Glenwood Springs has been offering and promoting energy efficiency with its residents and businesses by offering rebates since 2009. The City is a founding partner of Garfield Clean Energy, a county-wide government collaborative working on clean energy across the County. Glenwood Springs has been 35% renewable on the electric grid since 2013. As of June 1, all electricity provided by the City of Glenwood Springs will be renewable. According to MEAN, switching to 100% wind saves the environment 77,156 tons of CO2 emission that the City of Glenwood Springs would have “created” using MEAN fossil fuel plants to generate power.
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, which is well-known for its cave tours and over-the-top extreme thrill rides, was one the first businesses in Glenwood Springs to take advantage of Garfield Clean Energy and City of Glenwood efficiency rebates and install LED lighting within the caves, an innovative project that garnered statewide publicity. There were multiple benefits. In addition to cost effectiveness and sustainability, the LED bulbs put off less heat, which makes it easier to keep the 54 unique species residing in the cave alive. They also last longer, which means less servicing to change bulbs in the fragile environment.
The City’s switch to all renewable makes Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park one of the first amusement parks in the nation to use 100% renewable electricity, a move that makes owner Steve Beckley proud.
“Our business is centered on nature-based adventure, so protecting the environment and natural resources has been our primary goal since we gave our first cave tour in May 1999,” explained Steve Beckley, who owns Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park with his wife Jeanne. “We are really pleased to be one of the first theme parks in the U.S. to have all of its electricity provided from renewable sources. Sustainable tourism is an important issue these days, and this move is a huge step in the right direction for Glenwood Springs as a whole.”
Glenwood Springs has long been known as a wellness destination, with travelers from around the world visiting to soak in the healing benefits of its mineral hot springs since the 1880s. Prior to that, Nomadic Ute Indian tribes inhabited the area and frequently bathed and soaked in the hot mineral waters. Today, in addition to enjoying the hot springs, visitors come to fish, raft and kayak on the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers; hike, bike and ride the trails; camp and hunt in the White River National Forest; and ski, ride, snowshoe and snowmobile at Sunlight Mountain Resort. Providing clean energy to help protect the area’s natural resources is a major accomplishment.
Angie Anderson, president and CEO of the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, said, “We are thrilled that Glenwood Springs is on the cutting-edge utilizing 100 percent renewable energy. Our community has proven that clean energy is an important part of our local economy. This commitment to sustainability makes our community shine in a positive way.”
MEAN has been the City’s contracted bulk power supplier since 2012. Electric rates for City customers will remain the same, which is good news for residents and businesses alike. The City of Glenwood Springs will continue to offer rebates for energy efficiency and solar projects for its customers, as making sure everyone is efficient and continuing to promote local renewables is a benefit to the entire community.
Located at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers, the historic resort town of Glenwood Springs is midway between Aspen and Vail in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Accolades abound for this city with an elevation of 5,746 feet and a population just under 10,000. It’s been named the Most Fun Town in America by USA TODAY and Rand McNally, one of the 16 Best Places to Live in America by Outside magazine, one of America’s Favorite Towns by Travel + Leisure and the Top Adventure Town by Elevation Outdoors magazine.