The 6 Best Sustainable Ski Resorts in the United States

Making snow, driving snow cats and operating chairlifts doesn’t have to be bad for the environment. The ski resorts listed below are going above and beyond the norms of the ski industry to provide clean energy, divert waste, and hopefully preserve the experience we love for years to come.

It should be noted, however, that there are many ski resorts that could have landed on this list as sustainability plans and environmental efforts are being adopted en masse. We recommend looking at your local ski area’s sustainability statement to educate yourself on the efforts being made.

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1. Aspen Snowmass, Colorado

Of all the ski resorts on this list, Aspen Snowmass is perhaps the loudest when it comes to its stance on climate change and sustainability.

Take a scroll through the resort’s website and you’ll quickly learn that they don’t mince words: “The reality is, tweaking our business operations and cutting our carbon footprint is not enough—systemic problems require systemic solutions. Environmentalist and author Bill McKibben put it best, ‘By all means, go screw in that efficient light bulb, but then go screw in a new senator.’”

Aspen Skiing Company (ASC), which runs the four ski resorts in Aspen—Buttermilk, Highlands, Snowmass and Aspen Mountain—claims to have built the first solar array at a ski resort in the United States in 2004. The array was built at the Aspen Highlands ski patrol headquarters and has been succeeded by many additional arrays since. The company has also donated money to build solar panels for businesses around the Aspen community.

The company made waves in 2012 when it partnered with Oxbow’s Elk Creek Mine, Holy Cross Energy and Vessels Carbon Solutions to convert waste methane from an old coal mine into energy. According to ASC, the project has prevented the emission of more than 250 billion cubic feet of methane, which is equivalent to removing 517,000 passenger vehicles from the road for a year.

2. Snowbird, Utah

Nearly every ski resort in Utah has a defined sustainability statement, but Snowbird seems to go above and beyond when it comes to supporting local green initiatives across the community. “Climate in Utah is changing rapidly. We need to take deliberate action now,” says Dave Fields, president and general manager at Snowbird.

The resort’s Play Forever initiative is the defining piece of its sustainability puzzle. “Through strategic partnerships and resource allocation, the Fund drives sustainable development and innovative research. Snowbird prioritizes outdoor recreation, health and community well-being by leveraging research, technology and volunteerism. Together, through education and innovation, Snowbird strives for a resilient, sustainable future,” writes the resort.

In addition to the Play Forever initiative, Snowbird has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent since upgrading its co-generation power facility in 2021. The facility provides power and heat for many of the resort’s buildings and chairlifts, including the Aerial Tram.

3. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Colorado

Arapahoe Basin is a very popular ski area located just over an hour’s drive from Denver, Colorado.

A-Basin set a lofty goal back in 2018 to reach carbon neutrality by 2025. As it turned out, the ski area beat that goal by two years. A major part of reaching that goal was made through a commitment in 2023 to 100 percent renewable energy.

Current initiatives include reaching 75 percent waste diversion from landfills, decreasing local water usage and continuing to support carpooling initiatives.

The ski area’s sustainability statement is loud and clear: “A-Basin is located in the beautiful White River National Forest. We are committed to being thoughtful stewards of this exceptional mountain environment so that current and future generations can continue to enjoy it in every season.”

4. Berkshire East, Massachusetts

Roughly 120 miles west of Boston sits Berkshire East, a rather large ski resort for Massachusetts, that claims to be the only ski resort in the world that generates 100 percent of its electricity from on-site renewable energy.

To achieve this feat, Berkshire utilizes 1,800 solar panels and a massive 277-foot-tall wind turbine that looms over the ski area. Berkshire also heats its facilities with wood from the mountain, has upgraded its snowmaking and snow grooming to be more efficient and is planning to build “micro pump storage” solutions in the years to come.

“A pump storage facility uses water as an energy storage system by pumping water up when there is excess capacity in the electrical grid (i.e., when it’s cheap), and we will be able to drain that water through turbines and produce power when the price of power is expensive. Just think of it as a really big, non-toxic, renewable battery,” writes Berkshire East.

5. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) is synonymous with deep snow and steep terrain, but the iconic ski resort doesn’t take that for granted.

In order to preserve the mountain and ski experience for decades to come, JHMR reached 100 percent renewable energy in 2019 by sourcing wind power directly from Horse Butte Wind Farm in neighboring Idaho. The wind farm provides enough energy to power all of JHMR’s lifts, on-mountain facilities and base area operations.

In addition to clean energy, JHMR has committed to sustainable purchasing. This applies to food, products, materials, merchandise and more.

6. Mt. Abram, Maine

Mt. Abram made history in 2015 when it debuted “the world’s largest solar snowmaking site” thanks to a $235,000 grant from the USDA Rural Energy for America Program Grant. The grant provided approximately 25 percent of the budget needed to build the ski area’s massive 803-panel solar array that now provides approximately 70 percent of the ski area’s total electricity needs.

In addition to the solar array, Mt. Abram heats its facilities with wood pellets, and it was the second ski area in North America to install electric vehicle chargers—all the way back in 2012. The ski area has also invested heavily in an efficient snowmaking system, and it utilizes single-stream recycling to make waste diversion easier for guests.

If you’re looking for a ski area off the beaten path that’s dedicated to the environment, Mt. Abram, Maine, should top your list.