Downhill rush to power Whistler RESPONSE

After reading this article, I have hope for skiing. I am extremely excited that huge ski resorts are finding ways to offset their carbon emissions. Its amazing that one hydroelectric plant can power and entire mountain and it's amenities. I am glad that Colorado is not the only place taking an initiative to use clean energy. I wonder if this new power transition will affect the performance of Whistler's lifts and snow guns. Like I said before, a slight decrease in satisfaction of skiers is worth saving energy and helping to save winter altogether. 

I think it's interesting that the water used to power the plant flows into an existing pond, which happens to be the source of water for Whistler's man made snow. I have thought of one flaw in this system; If the ENTIRE mountain runs on one energy source, what happens if that source breaks down? I'm sure that Whistler's employees figured out that they need a reliable source, which is why this doesn't really worry me too much. But what would happen if the plant stopped working? Would the entire mountain be without power? That would really be a downer for skiers. Hopefully they have incorporated some kind of backup system in case this scenario plays out; possibly using their old system just for a day or two if its necessary.

I definitely want to make a trip to Whistler at some time in my life, and this is just another reason to patronize the resort.

Downhill rush to power Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia is known as the premier ski resort in North America. Year after year it is rated number one by skiing magazines. Whistler is also taking progressive steps (or one big step) to conserve energy and use cleaner energy sources. They have installed a hydroelectric plant which is powered by Fitzsimmons Creek, a river which flows from one of Whistler's peaks. They hope that this plant will power Whistler's 38 lifts, 17 restaurants, and more than 200 snow guns.

Like the last article, this one talks about advances that Whistler has already made to conserve energy. They have low emission snowmobiles, hybrid shuttle systems, and energy efficient lighting throughout the resort. This is widely regarded as a huge step towards energy effieicency in the ski industry.