The Building That Almost Wasn’t: Why Collaboration Is the Most Important Material in Sustainable Design

Great sustainable buildings are a choice that requires the right people in the room in order to realize them.

That was the throughline of a recent Mountain Towns 2030 webinar hosted by Jamie Wolf Jamie W. of OZ Architecture, who brought together engineers, energy modelers, and developers to talk candidly about what it actually takes to deliver ambitious, high-performance buildings in mountain communities. The conversation covered energy modeling, entitlement realities, infrastructure constraints, and wildfire resilience, but the deeper subject was always collaboration: who’s at the table, when they show up, and what happens when they don’t.

The Gap Between Design Intent and Real-World Performance

Mountain towns are not generic places, and they don’t respond well to generic solutions. They face seasonal occupancy swings, constrained power grids, short construction windows, high material costs, wildfire exposure, and groundwater surprises, all of which are variables that standard building codes and energy models weren’t designed to capture.

“Are we unintentionally limiting solutions by who we’re inviting into the room?” Wolf asked. It’s the question that started this whole conversation, one that emerged from a chance exchange with Aspen policy writers at the Mountain Towns 2030 Summit. One conversation led to another, and a clear pattern emerged: the gap between a building’s design intent and its real-world performance almost always lives in the handoffs, and in who was missing from the table early on.

Chris Vandal, Associate Principal at OZ Architecture, framed it this way: the most successful projects aren’t successful because of a specific technology or design direction. They succeed because the right experts found alignment from the start. OZ frequently runs multi-day “charrettes” at the outset of a project, bringing every relevant subject-matter expert into the room early on to inform decisions. This helps avoid the expensive and demoralizing experience of retrofitting both design and budget later.

Energy Modeling as a Collaboration Tool, Not Just a Compliance Box

Libby Middleton, PE, BEMP of Group 14 Engineering offered two case studies from a large condo+hotel in Steamboat Springs that illustrated what collaborative energy modeling can actually do when it goes beyond code compliance.

The first involved glazing. The design team had selected low solar heat gain coefficient glass, following the conventional wisdom that less solar heat means lower cooling loads. Reasonable in theory. But Steamboat is a heating-dominated climate, and with the right model and the right questions, the team discovered the opposite was true for this building, in this orientation, on this site. They studied five different glazing options and landed on the highest solar heat gain coefficient, the exact opposite of their anticipated selection..

The second example was about occupancy assumptions. Standard energy modeling protocols assume a building is 100% occupied year-round. That’s fine for a downtown Denver apartment but is not the same mountain condo+hotel that empties out between seasons.

During a team meeting, Wolf spoke up: “that’s not how this building is actually going to operate.” The team worked with the developer to pull real occupancy data from their portfolio, updated the model schedules, and found a 17% reduction in predicted energy use intensity (realized annually due to seasonal swings), and accurate heating and cooling load profiles. Testing an assumption led to a clearer picture of which design decisions actually moved the needle.

“Garbage in, garbage out,” Libby said. The earlier expert opinions and data  are integrated and inform the model, the less you’re guessing. And in predictive modeling, where you’re trying to understand how a building will actually perform against Colorado Building Performance Standard targets, AIA 2030 commitments, or net-zero goals, accuracy isn’t academic.

The Real Constraints Mountain Towns Face

OZ Architecture Partner, Rebecca (Becky) Stone (Rebecca Stone), AIA, NCIDQ, has worked in mountain resort communities for nearly 30 years, and brought the conversation down to earth with a series of case studies that illustrated just how interconnected mountain town development really is.

On community housing: entitlements in resort communities almost always require developers to contribute to workforce housing, sometimes by directly building it, sometimes by funding it in partnership with others. Burlingame in Aspen, Vail Health’s staff housing project, and Wintergreen in Keystone weren’t charity projects. They were the cost of doing business in a place where you can build a world-class building while ensuring there is a community there to support its operation.

On infrastructure: Becky’s team is currently working on The Stockman in Steamboat Springs, CO where they wanted to go all-electric. The local utility’s response was grounded in the reality of their operational capacity. It would necessitate a new power plant for this to be a viable option. Alterra is working on a geothermal system for the broader mountain, but it won’t be ready in time for this project’s construction timeline. The result is a building that can’t yet be what its designers want it to be, not because of any failure of ambition, but because the infrastructure simply isn’t available yet. Policy and infrastructure have to move together, or sustainability mandates just strangle development.

On wildfire: fire departments are an underappreciated early stakeholder in mountain construction. On a Snowmass Village project, the team worked with the local fire department and ultimately purchased them a new truck with the right ladder and rescue equipment to support the building type they were designing. At Deer Valley’s new East Village, the design team worked with mountain operators to cut strategic tree gaps in the runs, wide enough that a wildfire couldn’t jump them and reach the village. The Forest Service was at that table too since they own the land.

On groundwater: on a current Jackson project, geotech work revealed an environmental plume underground. The city was relieved as a developer willing to clean it up is not something you take for granted. The team turned the remediation into a foundation strategy, creating a waterproofed bathtub structure for the parking garage as they removed the contaminated soil.

Sewer Heat Recovery and the Art of Finding Common Ground

Chris Imperato, Associate Principal at AECOM, walked through the National Western Center in Denver’s sewer heat recovery system. The project took over a year of financial modeling and feasibility work before a single design drawing was made, and required buy-in from the City and County of Denver, Denver Water, Metro Wastewater, Xcel Energy, the National Western Stock Show, Colorado State University, Saunders Construction, and Centrio as plant operator.

Nobody woke up one morning and decided to build a sewer heat recovery system. It happened because every one of those organizations shared a common sustainability goal, and because the team was patient enough to find the financial and operational structures that made it work for all of them.

His advice for bridging the gap between feasibility study and built project: find partners who share a common vision, who prioritize sustainability as the driver, and seek the funding that follows when enough people are genuinely committed to the project’s success. “In mountain communities, that’s how they all stick together,” he said. “They share many common goals.”

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

• Bring stakeholders in before decisions are finalized. The cost of early collaboration is a charrette. The cost of late collaboration is redesign, budget overruns, and missed opportunities you can’t get back.

• Energy modeling is a design tool, not just a compliance checkbox. Collaborative, predictive modeling, informed by real occupancy data, local climate conditions, and actual operational plans,  improves energy-use predictions, significantly informing final design decisions.

• Mountain town occupancy is seasonal. Generic code assumptions about year-round full occupancy will produce inaccurate models. Push back on defaults and use real data from comparable properties.

• The power grid is a constraint, not a given. All-electric ambitions require utility conversations early. If the grid can’t support the load, the strategy has to adapt, and advocating for grid capacity upgrades is part of the work.

• Fire departments are design partners, not permit reviewers. Engage them early, understand their equipment and staffing constraints, and design (and sometimes fund) around them.

• Wildfire resilience extends beyond the building envelope. Tree gap design, site access planning, mechanical ventilation for air quality events, and coordinated land management with the Forest Service are all part of a complete approach.

• Shared goals make the impossible possible. The most ambitious projects get built when every stakeholder at the table can point to a reason it matters to them. Find that common ground first.

—

Jamie Wolf is a Project Architect at  OZ Architecture and a longtime participant in the Mountain Towns 2030 community. Panelists included Rebecca (Becky) Stone and Chris Vandal of OZ Architecture, Libby Middleton of Group 14 Engineering, and Chris Imperato of AECOM.

This article is part of the Mountain Towns 2030 webinar recap series. The next webinar is part of our new Wildfire Resilience Series, beginning May 23rd – details at mt2030.org.

Guardians of the Headwaters: Indigenous Wisdom and Mountain Towns Collaborate for Climate Resilience

Mountain towns and ski areas occupy a unique and interconnected space in the landscape of climate resilience. Nestled at the headwaters of vital watersheds, these communities and recreation hubs share not only geography, but a common reliance on healthy forests, clean water, and stable ecosystems.

At the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit in Breckenridge, Colorado in October 2025, a powerful conversation introduced by Geoffrey Grimmer, Town of Eagle, CO and featuring Alastair Lee Bitsóí & Thomas Bitsóí unfolded, bridging mountain communities with Indigenous voices from the Navajo Nation. This dialogue featured  the deep cultural knowledge, environmental challenges, and collaborative solutions that are essential to stewarding mountain landscapes amid a changing climate.

The Challenge in Mountain and Indigenous Communities

Mountain towns face numerous climate-related challenges — from increasing wildfire risks and drought stress to impacts on water quality and forest health. Ski areas, often located upstream, play a crucial role in managing the ecological health of headwaters that supply downstream communities. Yet, these challenges are not confined to mountain towns alone.

The Navajo Nation, spanning an area the size of West Virginia and framed by four sacred mountains as the ancestral lands of the Diné, confronts its own environmental legacies, including the aftermath of the legacy of uranium mining, milling, and contamination. Thomas Bitsóí, a former Navajo EPA official with over 20 years of experience, shared the scale of various environmental issues, including the issue of illegal dumpsites: “There’s probably over a thousand open dump sites across the Navajo Nation,” which pose ongoing threats to the land and people, reflecting the broader struggle to protect water and soil quality amid historical and ongoing industrial impacts.

At the heart of this conversation is the question of climate change itself. Thomas recounted a poignant moment asking his grandmother and mother if they had observed climate changes over their lifetimes. Both answered “No,” indicating how the Indigenous perspective of climate variations being part of natural cycles. “What changes occur… is us. The Five-Fingered People are the ones responsible for what is happening,” Thomas emphasized. This view invites reflection on humanity’s role in driving environmental change and the need for respectful stewardship.

Building Unlikely Alliances: Indigenous Knowledge Meets Mountain Town Climate Action

Alastair Lee Bitsóí, Thomas’s son and a journalist deeply engaged in Indigenous environmental advocacy, illustrated how Indigenous knowledge provides vital insights and solutions for climate resilience. He described the rediscovery and revival of traditional food systems, such as bringing back the drought-resilient Four Corners potato, as a form of climate mitigation: “I feel like I’m helping supply and survive or keep a food system, a superfood alive that our diets need that we forgot that we needed.”

This emphasis on ancestral food systems reflects a broader theme of reconnecting with the land and its rhythms. Alastair explained how such knowledge complements scientific understandings of climate change, blending cultural wisdom with data-driven approaches. “There’s data that now exists that says climate change is real… but human behavior is adding to the crazy,” he noted, highlighting the urgency to align human activities with ecological balance.

The conversation also addressed the complexities of energy transition within Indigenous territories. Alastair shared his experiences working with the Navajo Nation’s government, confronting debates over uranium mining, coal, and renewable energy development. While some leaders advocate infrastructure expansion for equity and development, others caution about repeating extractive mistakes. “There’s a constant threat of energy development in the Navajo Nation,” he said, reflecting the tension between economic needs and environmental protection.

From Ideas to Action: Collaborative Solutions in Mountain Landscapes

Mountain towns and ski areas are uniquely positioned to lead collaborative climate resilience efforts that honor Indigenous knowledge and address shared environmental challenges. The session highlighted examples of stewardship strategies including:

These approaches recognize that mountain ecosystems function as interconnected systems requiring partnerships across jurisdictions and cultures. Tools and resources are increasingly available to assess climate vulnerabilities and design adaptive strategies tailored to local contexts.

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

The Mountain Towns 2030 summit reveals the power of collaboration and cultural wisdom in confronting climate challenges. For mountain communities seeking practical actions, consider:

The voices of Thomas Bitsóí and Alastair Lee Bitsóí remind us that climate resilience is not simply a technical challenge but a deeply human one — rooted in respect for the land, intergenerational wisdom, and shared responsibility. Mountain towns, as guardians of these vital headwaters, have an opportunity and obligation to lead with humility, collaboration, and hope.

As Thomas reflected, “At the end of the day, we all sleep and we all eat, we all breathe this air, we all enjoy life. There’s no difference.” Embracing this unity can fuel the collective action needed to safeguard mountain homelands for generations to come.

For those interested in learning more or continuing the conversation, the Mountain Towns 2030 initiative offers resources and connections to support community-driven climate action rooted in both science and culture..

Together, mountain towns and Indigenous communities are weaving a resilient future — one grounded in the knowledge of the past and the promise of partnership.

How Routt County Built a Roadmap for Building Electrification

For mountain communities, buildings can be a climate problem hiding in plain sight. They are where people live, work, gather, vacation, and stay warm through long winters. They are also, in many places, the largest source of local emissions.

In a recent Mountain Towns 2030 webinar, Paul Bony of the Western Resilience Center, along with John Balfe and Michael Goodrum of NORESCO, walked through how the Routt County Climate Action Collaborative developed a 30-year community-wide building electrification and decarbonization roadmap and, just as importantly, the dashboard and implementation tools to make that roadmap usable.

Starting with the Carbon Problem

Routt County, home to Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley, adopted its Climate Action Plan in 2020. The countywide goal is ambitious: reduce carbon emissions 78% by 2050. But unlike some communities where transportation dominates the emissions picture, buildings are Routt County’s largest source – responsible for about 48% of local emissions.

That finding gave the Climate Action Collaborative a clear mandate – if the county was going to meet its long-term climate goals, it needed a serious plan for the building sector.

The Collaborative itself is regional by design. It includes Routt County, the City of Steamboat Springs, and the towns of Oak Creek, Yampa, and Hayden, with the Western Resilience Center serving as the administrative agency. When the Colorado Energy Office released Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Routt County’s existing regional partnership made it a strong fit.

The grant helped fund three deliverables: a building electrification and decarbonization plan, a dashboard to track progress over time, and a public-facing story map to help communicate the work to residents and local leaders.

Building the Inventory from the Bottom Up

Routt County already had a countywide emissions inventory, completed by Lotus Engineering and Sustainability. But to build a building-sector roadmap, the team needed to understand what was happening inside that sector, so they built a bottom-up inventory of the county’s buildings.

The model combined Routt County assessor data with ComStock and ResStock, two National Renewable Energy Laboratory datasets that estimate building energy use by type, climate zone, and other characteristics. NORESCO filtered those datasets to Colorado Climate Zone 7 to better represent Routt County’s cold mountain climate, then matched them with local building types and fuel data.

It was not a perfect dataset – heating fuel information was incomplete in places. Building categories did not always line up cleanly. But after calibration against the county’s previous emissions inventory, NORESCO’s model came within about 1% of the overall inventory – close enough to give the Collaborative confidence that the roadmap was grounded in reality.

The deeper inventory confirmed several important things: Residential buildings make up most of the county’s building stock, and commercial buildings account for slightly more total building-sector emissions. When the team looked specifically at fossil fuel emissions from natural gas and propane, residential buildings (especially single-family homes) became the central challenge. Single-family buildings alone were responsible for roughly 45% of fossil fuel-based building emissions.

The Dashboard: Turning Targets Into Decisions

Instead of choosing a subscription software platform, the Collaborative wanted something it could own, update, and adapt. NORESCO built the dashboard in Excel, with editable inputs for retrofit quantities, grid emissions, new construction rates, and other assumptions.

The dashboard allows the Collaborative to test different pathways. What happens if the electric grid reaches 80% clean energy around 2030, as Yampa Valley Electric Association’s new power supply contract is expected to do? What if the grid reaches 100% clean electricity by 2045? What if retrofit volumes grow slowly? What if they grow aggressively?

With a cleaner grid, Routt County can make major progress toward its building-sector emissions targets. But even under a 100% clean electricity scenario, natural gas and propane emissions remain – buildings still have to be retrofitted and fossil fuel heating still has to be addressed.

The dashboard also made the scale of work visible. To hit the Collaborative’s original 2030 retrofit percentage targets, the county would need to retrofit thousands of buildings per year – a pace that would be difficult in any community, and especially challenging in a rural mountain region with limited contractor capacity. The recommended pathway relaxes the near-term retrofit volume while still meeting 2030 and 2050 emissions targets, then ramps building retrofits over time.

That is the power of a good model – it does not just say “electrify buildings,” it helps leaders understand what is technically possible, what is operationally realistic, and where the gaps are.

From Plan to Programs

The 50-plus-page decarbonization plan focuses on removing fossil fuels from Routt County’s building sector. It identifies high-impact retrofit packages – including heat pumps, envelope improvements, lighting upgrades, and appliance electrification – and then pairs those measures with policy and program options that could actually drive adoption.

Three ideas stood out:

First is a HeatSmart-style campaign or energy concierge program that provides human support to residents trying to navigate audits, bids, incentives, contractors, and equipment choices. In rural communities, where contractor capacity may be limited and trust matters, that kind of peer-to-peer support can be the difference between interest and action.

Second is a “Slope Smart Homes” concept aimed at second homes and vacation properties. These homes can be large energy users and difficult to reach through standard outreach. By working with Home Owner Associations (HOAs), property managers, rental agencies, utilities, and homeowners, a mountain community can start with practical measures like smart thermostats, smart plugs, and education – then build toward deeper retrofits.

Third is an “Electrify Routt” program modeled in part on Breckenridge’s electrification work. The idea is to use local funding to close the gap between existing incentives and the actual cost of heat pump projects, especially for workforce housing and community-serving properties. One potential funding mechanism is a renewable energy mitigation program, where high-energy outdoor uses such as snowmelt systems, pools, or hot tubs either install onsite renewable energy or pay into a fund that supports public electrification projects.

Financing remains one of the biggest barriers. Paul Bony noted that the Collaborative is exploring options including micro-PACE, on-bill financing through the local electric cooperative, and leasing structures for geothermal heat pumps that may allow tax credits to be captured by the leasing entity.

The Workforce Reality

Paul put the scale plainly: the community needs roughly 10,000 heat pumps over the next 20-plus years. That means local contractors have a choice – become part of the solution, or watch the work get imported from outside the region.

A recent local “heat pump hoedown” drew 190 registrations across contractor and public sessions. Colorado Mountain College is working on heat pump apprenticeship training. The Northwest Colorado Development Council has launched the Northwest Colorado Innovation Center in Craig and hired a workforce development manager, with HVAC contractors and apprentices among its first focus areas.

That ecosystem matters because electrification is not just a technology transition – it is a workforce transition, an economic development opportunity, and a local capacity challenge.

Routt County is also taking a nuanced approach to the grid. In a cold climate with 9,500 heating degree days at 6,000 to 7,000 feet, peak demand matters, and full electrification with electric resistance backup could create serious distribution challenges. In some cases, dual-fuel systems may be more practical in the near term, while ground-source heat pumps can reduce the need for supplemental heat.

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

—

This article is part of the Mountain Towns 2030 webinar recap series. The full webinar recording and presentation materials will be shared with registrants, and the next MT2030 webinar is scheduled for June 17 on implementing innovative sustainable building design through collaboration. Register here!

Can Tourism Play a Role in Climate Resilience?

Tourism powers many mountain-town economies. But as climate impacts accelerate — from low-snow winters to drought, wildfire, and shifting visitor patterns — tourism leaders are increasingly asking a new question: can the industry also help communities become more resilient?

That question was the focus of Mountain Towns 2030’s recent webinar, “Can Tourism Play a Role in Climate Resiliency?”, featuring Hilary Lewkowitz, Director of Destination Development & Sustainability at the Colorado Tourism Office; Eliza Voss, Vice President of Marketing at Aspen Chamber Resort Association; and Sarah-Jane Johnson, Tourism & Destination Services Manager for the City of Durango.

The conversation highlighted a growing shift in mountain communities: tourism is no longer being viewed only as an economic engine but as a potential partner in climate action.

Tourism’s Climate Challenge

Tourism is both vulnerable to climate change and a contributor to it. Visitors are drawn to snow, rivers, forests, and outdoor recreation — all of which are being affected by warming temperatures, drought, wildfire risk, and changing precipitation patterns.

Transportation remains the largest emissions challenge. Roughly 72% of tourism-related emissions come from transportation, with aviation accounting for the majority.

At the same time, climate impacts are already reshaping visitor behavior. As Hilary Lewkowitz explained, recent winters have shown how quickly patterns can shift: “We saw a pretty massive decline in overnight stays at our mountain communities… and about a 10% decline in visitor spending.”

For mountain towns that rely heavily on tourism, those changes carry real economic consequences.

From Promotion to Stewardship

In response, tourism leaders are rethinking their approach.

Through its Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan, the Colorado Tourism Office is encouraging destinations to move beyond simply increasing visitation and instead consider tourism’s broader impact on communities.

That includes applying a “climate lens” to existing efforts — from marketing to product development.

A key insight: sustainability messaging alone doesn’t drive behavior change. Instead, destinations are reframing how they present options to visitors.

This approach aims to make lower-impact choices the most convenient and appealing option, rather than asking visitors to sacrifice.

Aspen: Aligning Tourism with Community Values

In Aspen, climate work is deeply tied to long-standing community values.

The Aspen Chamber Resort Association works alongside city government to promote sustainability initiatives, support responsible businesses, and align visitor messaging with local priorities.

Because the tourism organization does not directly control policy, much of its role is about coordination and communication. “We really can become a facilitator to distribute the information,” said Eliza Voss.

That includes highlighting public transportation, supporting waste diversion efforts, and elevating businesses participating in sustainability programs.

Durango: Integrating Tourism into Climate Planning

Durango has taken a different approach by embedding tourism directly into city government.

That shift has created new opportunities for collaboration across departments, from sustainability to transportation to economic development.

“It really seemed to me to be a governance opportunity,” said Sarah-Jane Johnson, “because tourism now has the right seat at the table.”

Durango has also developed its own Climate Action Plan, with tourism playing a role in areas like food waste reduction, dark-sky certification, and transportation decarbonization.

One current initiative is a food waste pilot program involving local restaurants and hotels — an example of how tourism can help drive change within local business systems.

Economic Resilience Is Climate Resilience

As climate impacts intensify, mountain towns are also reconsidering their economic dependence on tourism — particularly winter tourism.

Communities are exploring ways to diversify, including arts and cultural programming, special events, and year-round experiences.

At the same time, risks like wildfire remain a major concern. Johnson pointed to a past example in Durango, where wildfire disrupted a key tourism asset:“It has literally shut down… the train was stopped… that had a huge economic impact,” she said.

The takeaway is clear: climate resilience is inseparable from economic resilience.

The Path Forward

Tourism organizations are uniquely positioned to influence visitor behavior, convene stakeholders, and help align economic activity with community goals.

As mountain towns look ahead, the role of tourism is evolving — from simply attracting visitors to helping protect the places they come to experience.

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

Plan for climate volatility: Build strategies that account for changing snowpack, drought, wildfire, and shifting demand.

Powering Resilience: How Innovative Energy Storage is Strengthening Mountain Towns and Ski Areas

At the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit in Breckenridge, CO, energy experts explored how advanced battery and inertial-based systems are helping mountain communities and ski areas secure clean, reliable power amid growing climate uncertainty.

The Challenge in Mountain Communities: Climate Risks and Energy Vulnerabilities

Mountain towns are deeply connected to surrounding high-elevation landscapes that serve as headwaters for critical watersheds. But that same geography also makes them vulnerable. Wildfires, heavy snowstorms, and fallen trees increasingly disrupt power lines, threatening safety, economic activity, and daily life.

At the same time, rising electricity costs—driven largely by maintaining poles and wires—are putting pressure on residents and businesses.

Ski resorts and hospitality operators, which anchor many mountain economies, rely on consistent power to operate lifts, lodges, and infrastructure. As demand response events become more frequent, these businesses need flexible solutions that can stabilize energy use without compromising operations.

Building Resilience Through Advanced Energy Storage Solutions

Energy storage is emerging as a key solution.

Michael Thomas , founder of Cleanview and the newsletter Distilled, noted the dramatic drop in lithium-ion battery costs—from about $1,200 per kilowatt-hour in 2010 to roughly $100—unlocking new opportunities for local energy resilience and decarbonization.

Brent Hill, Managing Partner at Origin Ventures, emphasized the growing urgency. With AI and data center expansion driving demand, “we expect the next decade to look like an increase of 35 to 80 gigawatts of power,” he said.

Chris Klima of Torus introduced a hybrid system combining flywheel technology with lithium iron phosphate batteries. Designed for subtransmission and distribution systems, it is particularly well suited to mountain towns and ski areas.

Flywheels store energy kinetically by spinning a rotor in a vacuum, enabling rapid response and grid stabilization. “The flywheel is able to store energy  via an inertial-based storage device and provide clean power,” Klima explained. Combined with batteries, the system delivers both short bursts and longer-duration energy support.

Article content
Michael Thomas, Chris Klima, and Brent Hill at the Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Breckenridge

Real-World Applications: Mountain Towns and Ski Resorts Leading the Way

These technologies are already being deployed.

In Utah’s Wasatch Front, Torus has partnered with ski resorts and communities to integrate storage with solar and existing infrastructure. At Woodward Park City, systems are improving solar utilization and backup capacity. At Snowbird, the Torus system will support tram operations by smoothing power fluctuations and stabilizing the grid.

Energy storage also reduces costs by addressing peak demand charges. “There’s usually one event that’s 40 or 50 percent higher than any other event in the whole month,” Hill said. “Our job is to shave that off.”

By reducing peak loads, storage systems lower strain on infrastructure and help avoid costly upgrades that drive long-term rate increases.

Safety and Sustainability: Addressing Community Concerns

Concerns around battery safety and environmental impact remain, especially given high-profile battery fires and lithium mining challenges.

Torus has focused on safety through rigorous testing and built-in fire suppression systems. Klima emphasized the company’s approach: “We are pro-regulation… making sure the safety factors are there.”

On sustainability, the company is reducing reliance on lithium by increasing the role of flywheels, which are primarily made of recyclable steel. “Our flywheel is 95 percent recyclable… and it lasts for 25 years,” Klima noted.

Technical Advantages and Maintenance

Internal-based, or flywheel systems offer high efficiency—around 88 to 91 percent—and long service life with minimal maintenance. The rotor spins in a vacuum and is magnetically levitated, reducing friction and wear.

Torus typically retains ownership of deployed systems, managing them remotely with 24/7 monitoring. This model shifts costs from upfront capital investment to ongoing operational expenses, making adoption more accessible for communities and resorts.

Collaboration and Policy: Driving the Energy Transition Together

The panel emphasized that technology alone is not enough—collaboration and communication are essential.

Hill highlighted the importance of storytelling and public perception: “where policymakers can really help is… telling all the success stories versus the failures.”

Mountain communities, utilities, and private partners all have a role to play in advancing deployment. Strong partnerships can accelerate adoption, build trust, and align climate goals with economic resilience.

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

Join us this year at the Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Sun Valley

Real talk from ski industry leaders on the winter that wasn’t: “We can take the profile of this issue to a whole new level

By Anna Robertson

“It was dire.”

That was how one outdoor industry leader categorized this winter at a frank conversation among leaders in the ski industry at the Progression conference, an event that connects investors, founders, and thought leaders to drive climate impact.

In a talk titled, “Where’s all the snow?” moderated by Mountain Towns 2030 Executive Director Chris Steinkamp , ski industry leaders talked about the real economic impacts of climate change on their businesses – while also discussing the opportunity to create change through innovative technologies, education, and athlete activation.

“We had a pretty significant impact on sales,” Backcountry CEO Kevin Lenau shared about the impact of this year’s lackluster snow season, citing a significant downturn in revenue.

Sophie Goldschmidt , CEO of the US Ski and Snowboard Team added that climate change is increasing costs for their organization as they pivoted to change venues or adjust to get athletes the time they need on snow. “Flexibility comes at a high cost and investment,” she explained. “On the training side and the competition side, it’s having a material impact on us.”

How this winter changed the ski industry

Lenau said the lack of snow has led Backcountry to diversify into other sports, but he believes the situation is “actually worse than it looks,” adding, “Even though you can still ski, it’s going to become more and more expensive as smaller resorts aren’t going to be able to pay for the snowmaking necessary to stay open. As the supply shrinks, you’re going to have less young people and less people coming into the sport. It’s dire.”

Raj Basi Raj B., VP of Sustainability for POWDR, which owns ski resorts like Copper Mountain and Snowbird as well as training facilities like Woodward and concessions in national parks, said that adapting to uncertain conditions was a logistical challenge.

Lack of snow this year forced them to “revisit planning structures and hiring structures to be  more dynamic.” They’ve also been looking to create more alternatives for guests who visit their mountains. “You can’t expect things to be the way they were 30 years ago,” he said. “Expectations have to change and we have to come to terms with that reality. There’s also a lot of opportunity for innovation.

Looking toward the future

One positive outcome Lenau described is increasing innovation in more sustainable materials and technology, as well as a stronger interest from consumers around sustainability in their purchasing decisions.

“Our consumer really cares about these problems… We are seeing search trends on sustainability, recycled, organic materials increasing,” he said, adding, “It’s great to see another revolution in material science that is really moving us forward.”

While technology can help address climate change, Goldschmidt says we have to move quickly.

“We still can slow down what’s happening and in some instances, I believe, reverse it, with new technologies,” she said. “But we don’t want to wait for that. We need to impact it right away. I think people have maybe been lulled into a false sense of security because the past few years we’ve had great snow years.”

If we don’t address the impacts of climate change, she warned, “in 10-20 years time, our ski season will be a lot shorter.”

Goldschmidt sees a huge opportunity to affect change tied to the Olympic Games coming to  Park City, Utah in 2034.

“Let’s use the next 8 years to educate about the issue we have, which is dire, but what we need to do to impact it,” she suggested. “There are things everybody in this country can be doing to make a difference, and we can take the profile of this issue to a whole new level.”

That might include mobilizing athletes and their platforms. “Our athletes authentically care about this, they’ve been pushing us to do more,” she said. “They are absolute key stakeholders to help us to market some of what we can do, but also some of the challenges. No one should be in the dark about the situation.”

Brad Chedister, Head of Project Orion from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee called for collaboration and innovation.

“It is an existential threat, it is very serious. But let’s be a little more optimistic on the tech side,” he said. “We win together. We need to set up purposeful ecosystems that collaborate with each other.”

That’s the mission of Mountain Towns 2030, which helped seed the Mountain Collaborative, an effort among the four largest ski resorts to share solutions across their organizations.

Combining that collaboration with consumer awareness could be a key unlock, Basi added. “We have millions of people visiting our locations who are receptive to climate messaging every day.”

How Mountain Towns and Utilities Can Shape a Sustainable Energy Future

Mountain towns face unique challenges when it comes to energy and climate resilience. Physical geography places many ski areas and mountain towns at the headwaters of critical watersheds, where forest health, wildfire risk, and water quality intersect. Energy infrastructure must not only meet the demands of residents and visitors but also accommodate extreme weather and seasonal fluctuations.

A key challenge is balancing the need for reliable energy with the imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A session at the 2025 Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit in Breckenridge, Colorado delved into how local governments can leverage the current regulatory environment to get utilities to do more around energy solutions and infrastructure resilience.

Featuring insights from sustainability leaders and legal experts involved in the Mountain Energy Project—a landmark Colorado utility proceeding—the discussion highlighted practical strategies, coalition-building, and regulatory engagement as tools for mountain communities to shape their energy future.

The Challenge in Mountain Communities: Navigating Energy Infrastructure and Climate Risks

In Summit County, Colorado and surrounding communities served by Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy), a forecasted peak hour natural gas supply shortfall on the coldest winter days spurred the Mountain Energy Project. This utility proposal aimed to address potential gas shortages without resorting to costly and carbon-intensive conventional pipeline expansions.

As Jessica Burley , Sustainability and Parking Manager for Breckenridge, explained, “The application filed by Public Service sought to avoid a $300 million investment in a new natural gas pipeline through a plan that included non-pipeline alternatives—measures that can defer, reduce or eliminate the need for new gas infrastructure by reducing demand.”

These non-pipeline alternatives (NPA) include electrification programs, building envelope improvements, and demand response initiatives. The Mountain Energy Project showcased how mountain communities can play an active role in shaping such plans to align with local climate goals, affordability concerns, and resilience needs.

Building Coalitions: The Power of Collective Local Voices

Engaging with complex utility regulatory proceedings requires resources and expertise that can challenge individual mountain towns. The Mountain Community Coalition, formed by the towns of Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Frisco, Dillon, Blue River, and Keystone, and Summit County government exemplifies the power of collaboration.

Pooling resources allowed the coalition to hire technical experts from Synapse Energy Economics and legal counsel from Kaplan Kirsch, enabling deep analysis and effective intervention in the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) process. The coalition’s unified voice amplified local priorities, including:

As Sarah Judkins , attorney at Kaplan Kirschand representative of the coalition, noted, “We were able to negotiate a downsize of the proposed LNG (liquid natural gas) supplemental supply facility, reducing project costs and environmental impact. We also secured commitments for an electric heat pump pilot program to help overcome affordability barriers.”

This collaborative approach not only strengthened local influence but also contributed to a comprehensive settlement agreement supported by most parties involved, demonstrating how diverse stakeholders can find common ground.

Understanding Regulatory Engagement: The Public Utilities Commission as a Climate Lever

Many mountain town residents and leaders may be unfamiliar with the pivotal role public utilities commissions play in energy planning and climate outcomes. Mike Foote , Founder and Principal Attorney at Foote Environmental Law & Policy, LLC, described PUCs as “some of the most powerful state agencies that nobody has heard of.”

In Colorado, investor-owned utilities like Xcel Energy must file plans—including electric resource plans, transportation electrification plans, and rate cases—with the PUC. The commission reviews these filings, considers input from intervening parties such as local governments and consumer groups, and ultimately decides on approvals and conditions.

Importantly, local governments can intervene as parties in these proceedings, enabling them to:

However, intervention requires staff capacity, legal expertise, and financial investment. The Mountain Community Coalition’s effort cost approximately $250,000, shared among members based on greenhouse gas emissions contributions. As Burley explained, “We would not have been able to participate and engage at the level that we did without Synapse and their expertise.”

Local governments interested in regulatory engagement must weigh these resource considerations and may find coalitions essential to pooling expertise and sharing costs.

Beyond Utilities: Other Regulatory Spaces for Climate Action

While the PUC is central to energy infrastructure decisions, mountain towns can also influence climate resilience through other regulatory forums.

As Foote noted, “Local governments have had an effective voice to make sure income-qualified and disproportionately impacted communities get their fair share of electrification infrastructure.”

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

Mountain towns across the West face intertwined challenges of climate change, energy transition, and infrastructure resilience. The Mountain Energy Project and the Mountain Community Coalition’s experience offer valuable lessons and actionable steps:

Mountain communities hold a unique position at the confluence of natural resources and economic opportunity. By collaborating with utilities and regulators, they can help shape an energy future that is cleaner, more resilient, and equitable. As Judkins reflected, “This is the future of gas planning as we try to move off natural gas and toward electrification. We want this to be a success story here that others can follow.”

The path forward requires commitment, expertise, and partnership—but as the Mountain Community Coalition shows, it is possible to turn complex regulatory processes into opportunities for local climate leadership and lasting impact.

For mountain towns seeking to get involved, the first step is to connect with peers in neighboring communities and regional climate coalitions, identify upcoming utility filings or regulatory actions, and consider how local voices and expertise can influence decisions that affect their shared environment and future.

Harnessing the Heat Beneath Our Feet: How Geothermal Energy is Powering Mountain Towns’ Climate Future

One of the most exciting clean energy technologies with the potential to impact the future of mountain towns is geothermal energy, which has been embraced by both political parties as a practical and high-impact opportunity for towns on the front lines of climate change.

At the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit in Breckenridge, CO, a diverse panel of experts gathered to explore the role of geothermal energy in decarbonizing mountain communities, calling it a “breakthrough point” for the technology. 

From municipal leaders and engineers to financiers and state energy officials, their conversations highlighted practical pathways, financing tools, and ongoing collaborations that are making geothermal a key piece of the climate puzzle for mountain towns.

The Challenge in Mountain Communities: Decarbonization and Resilience

Mountain towns often face volatile energy costs, limited infrastructure, and regulatory hurdles that complicate climate action. As Luke Cartin, lands and sustainability lead for Park City Municipal, explained, “If you just look at the variability of natural gas pricing, it is nutty. It is all over the place.” This unpredictability creates both economic risk and barriers to long-term planning for sustainable energy systems.

At the same time, these communities must maintain reliable heating and cooling year-round in harsh mountain climates. Conventional systems can be inefficient or reliant on fossil fuels, producing greenhouse gas emissions that worsen climate change. The need to “de-risk” energy—making it more stable, affordable, and clean—has never been clearer.

Geothermal energy offers a compelling solution. Unlike air source heat pumps that lose efficiency in cold temperatures, geothermal systems leverage the earth’s stable underground temperatures. This creates highly efficient heating and cooling with less energy input. Moreover, geothermal can be integrated into thermal energy networks that share heat and cooling loads among buildings, maximizing efficiency.

“Imagine if you had a bunch of buildings that all had their solar array, but they were not inner tied at all and they’re all trying to balance their own heating and cooling,” Cartin explained. 

“That’d be a pretty insane grid. The nice thing with these thermal energy networks is the goal of saying, we have heat over here, we have a heating need over here. How can we share those things?”

Building Unlikely Alliances: Partnerships That Power Progress

Scaling geothermal from concept to community-wide implementation requires collaboration across sectors—local governments, utilities, financiers, engineers, and residents. The panelists emphasized that these partnerships are not only necessary but also create surprising alignments between environmental and financial goals.

Alexandra Iseman, managing director at D.A. Davidson, described the nonpartisan appeal of geothermal projects: “You don’t have to choose between saving the polar bears and making a good investment. Honestly, you can do both. These systems offer what you’re looking for… They help you solve the solutions.”

Creative financing models are critical to making geothermal projects viable. The federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for geothermal, extended through 2032, provides substantial support. 

Iseman explained how both public and private entities can leverage these incentives: “For governmental entities, utility districts, and nonprofits, there are direct pay options that return 30 to 50 percent of project costs as cash once the project is placed into service. Private owners can monetize tax credits by selling them to tax credit buyers, recovering much of their investment upfront.”

There are also state incentives available to accelerate geothermal. For example, Colorado’s Energy Office launched a $12 million geothermal program under the “Heat Beneath Our Feet” initiative. Bryce Carter, the program’s manager, shared encouraging results: “We’ve awarded over 60 projects, from studies to buildouts, including in Eagle County and at Colorado Mesa University. We’re seeing hundreds of millions in incentives over the next decade to support heat pumps and geothermal systems.”

These programs also focus on building knowledge and trust—key ingredients in an emerging market. “You move at the speed of trust in communities,” Carter explained. “We’re working with partners to form a Colorado geothermal council to bring stakeholders together and close gaps around utilities, incentives, and regulations.”

From Ideas to Action: Engineering the Future of Thermal Energy Networks

While the concept of geothermal can sound complex, the technical approach is grounded in proven engineering practices. Matt Garlick, CEO of the Grey Edge Group, shared how his firm guides clients through a phased process to ensure success while mitigating risk.

The journey begins with a Phase One study to identify potential thermal energy sources and loads—whether from groundwater, wastewater heat, snowmaking systems, or other resources. Phase Two refines this data to understand energy demands and resource capacities. Then comes pre-design and coalition building, followed by engineering design led by certified geothermal professionals.

Garlick emphasized the importance of doing it right the first time: “There are some things you can’t afford to do wrong the first time. Once you pop that hole, … there’s no going back. You’re committed.” He added that commissioning agents, especially those with a Certified Geothermal Inspector certifications, are critical to ensure that systems perform as designed, maximizing carbon reductions and financial returns over the long term.

Real-world examples illustrate these principles in action. Park City’s new water treatment plant uses ambient-temperature water from a nearby mine shaft as a heat source. By extracting less than a tenth of a degree of heat from the water, the system is able to efficiently warm the building. This project demonstrates how even very small temperature differences can be harnessed effectively.

Scaling Up Mountain Towns’ Geothermal Future

The panelists are optimistic that geothermal energy can play a transformative role in mountain towns’ climate strategies. With pilot projects demonstrating feasibility, financial incentives lowering upfront costs, and collaborative efforts building expertise and trust, the pathway is clear.

As Park City’s Cartin put it, “It seems like it’s at a breakthrough point. It’s exciting to be jumping out of the very high level study and coming down an elevation to look at the next one.”

Iseman summarized the broader appeal: “Whatever your municipality or organization values—carbon reduction, sustainable energy, resiliency, or making a good investment—these systems offer it.”

Carter encouraged mountain towns to tap into available resources and join ongoing conversations: “It’s a really exciting time. Things are heating up in Colorado, and we’re here to be a resource as you navigate this emerging market.”

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

Mountain towns looking to explore geothermal energy can take several practical steps to advance projects and build resilience:

The path to decarbonizing mountain towns is complex, but geothermal energy offers a clean, stable, and scalable solution grounded in local resources. By working together across sectors and leveraging available tools and expertise, mountain communities can harness the heat beneath their feet to power a resilient, sustainable future.

How leaders in Teton County are supporting local businesses – and creating resilient communities

At the Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Jackson, WY, a dynamic panel convened to discuss how local organizations are advancing sustainable business practices and fostering a culture of environmental stewardship. The session explored the successes of the Sustainable Business Leaders program, a collaboration between the Teton County Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling Department and the nonprofit Riverwind Foundation.

The Sustainable Business Leaders (SBL) program serves as a blueprint for fostering sustainable practices across local businesses and organizations. Shannon Shuptrine, Sustainability Program Manager at the Riverwind Foundation, highlighted how the program integrates environmental, social, and economic goals into business operations, aligning participants with Teton County’s climate action and zero-waste goals.

“Sustainability isn’t just about reducing waste,” Shuptrine said. “It’s about creating systems where businesses thrive while protecting the environment and strengthening community resilience.”

The program offers businesses practical support from the Teton County Solid Waste and Recycling, including:

“Our role is to empower businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to make meaningful, measurable changes,” said Rebecca Kiefer, Outreach Coordinator for Teton County Solid Waste and Recycling.

Each panelist shared how their organizations have leveraged the SBL program to integrate sustainability into their operations.

Grand Teton Association

Nick Delmolino described how the Grand Teton Association implemented a Sustainability Management Plan focused on waste reduction and conservation education. By aligning their practices with SBL principles, the organization has significantly reduced landfill contributions while educating park visitors about sustainability.

“We’ve learned that leading by example is one of the most effective ways to inspire change,” Delmolino said.

Teton Raptor Center

Amy Brennan McCarthy shared how the Teton Raptor Center incorporated renewable energy and waste diversion strategies into their operations. The center also focuses on wildlife conservation, demonstrating how environmental stewardship extends beyond human activities.

“Sustainability isn’t just a goal—it’s a responsibility we owe to the ecosystems and species we serve,” she said.

Healthy Being Café, Juicery & Wellbeing Market

Jessica Vandenbroeke highlighted her business’s journey toward sustainability, which includes sourcing local ingredients, eliminating single-use plastics, and educating customers about waste reduction. The café’s efforts have earned them a prominent role as a model for green business practices in the region.

“For us, sustainability is about aligning our values with our operations—ensuring that every decision we make reflects care for our planet and our community,” she said.

The panelists emphasized how the SBL program creates ripple effects across the community. By supporting businesses in reducing waste, improving energy efficiency, and promoting sustainable practices, the program contributes to broader county-wide climate goals.

Key accomplishments to date include:

The session concluded with actionable advice for attendees looking to replicate the program in their own communities:

  1. Start with Small Wins: Businesses don’t have to tackle everything at once; incremental steps build momentum.
  2. Leverage Partnerships: Collaboration between governments, nonprofits, and businesses is key to scaling sustainability efforts.
  3. Measure Impact: Tracking progress ensures accountability and demonstrates the value of sustainability initiatives.
  4. Engage Customers and Employees: Educating and involving stakeholders creates buy-in and amplifies impact.

“Sustainability isn’t just an operational choice—it’s a way to lead, inspire, and build resilience across our community,” said Shuptrine.

WATCH THE FULL SESSION

“Even small communities can lead the way:” How to drive local climate action through collaboration

When it comes to climate impact, sometimes it takes a village – or ten.

EcoAction Partners began with a simple but ambitious idea: create a centralized resource to help rural communities tackle sustainability challenges together. What started as a small nonprofit in Telluride has grown into a regional leader, coordinating efforts across three counties  and ten local governments to address greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, and implement climate action plans.

In a discussion at the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Solutions Summit Summit, leaders at the forefront of climate action in Colorado’s San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan Counties explored how rural mountain communities can band together to combat climate change, sharing personal stories, lessons learned, and practical advice.

“In 2007, sustainability was just becoming a buzzword,” explained Kim Wheels, Energy Specialist at EcoAction Partners, reflecting on the organization’s early days. “By pooling resources from local governments and our cooperative utility, we were able to launch a nonprofit to serve the entire region.” Wheels has dedicated over 16 years to designing and implementing impactful regional programs.

Today, EcoAction Partners drives initiatives like the Snuffles Energy Board, a coalition of ten local governments focused on implementing climate action strategies ranging from energy efficiency programs to groundbreaking microgrids.

Some of their wins include:

Kendra Held, Climate Action Coordinator for EcoAction Partners, emphasized the importance of collaboration, saying, “Our regional climate action plan would have been impossible without the Snuffles Energy Board. Together, we’ve leveraged funding and expertise to tackle challenges that no single community could handle alone.”

Of course, progress hasn’t come without its hurdles. The panelists shared candidly about the challenges they’ve faced, including:

Despite these obstacles, EcoAction Partners has persisted by leaning into collaboration and reframing challenges as opportunities. “Every community brings something unique to the table,” said Wheels. “Even the smallest towns can teach us something valuable about resilience and resourcefulness.”

Whether you’re part of a small town or a sprawling city, the panel offered actionable insights for anyone looking to launch or strengthen climate initiatives:

  1. Collaborate Across Borders: Climate change doesn’t stop at town lines. Regional collaboration amplifies impact and attracts funding.
  2. Start with Data: Greenhouse gas inventories provide a roadmap for prioritizing actions with the greatest impact.
  3. Engage Everyone: From local governments to utilities to nonprofits, diverse partnerships create a stronger foundation for success.
  4. Secure Funding: Donor engagement and grant writing are critical to turning plans into action.

The panelists also reminded attendees that climate work is as much about hope and storytelling as it is about science and policy. Jason Corzine, President & CEO of the Telluride Foundation,  shared how their organization has pivoted from funding individual projects to becoming a major backer of regional climate action, securing over $5.3 million for initiatives in 2023 alone.

“Climate work can feel overwhelming,” said Emma Gerona, Executive Director of EcoAction Partners, who leads efforts to tackle sustainability challenges across three counties. “But when you focus on small wins, celebrate progress, and keep the big picture in mind, it becomes a lot more manageable—and even fun.”

As Corzine put it, “This is about putting the action in climate action planning—and showing that even small communities can lead the way.”

See the whole seminar here: