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

• Start with the building sector you actually have. Routt County’s roadmap works because it is grounded in local assessor data, local fuel realities, and a cold-climate building model — not generic assumptions.
• Ask “how many of what, by when?” Climate goals become actionable when communities translate them into retrofit counts, timelines, costs, and workforce needs.
• Clean electricity is the multiplier. Yampa Valley Electric Association’s move toward roughly 80% clean power around 2030 dramatically improves the emissions outlook, but fossil fuel heating still has to be addressed.
• Residential buildings deserve early attention. In Routt County, single-family homes are the biggest source of fossil fuel-based building emissions, making them a critical focus for heat pumps and envelope improvements.
• Dashboards can be strategy tools. Routt County’s Excel-based dashboard helps leaders test assumptions, track progress, communicate the scale of work, and adjust as conditions change.
• Financing is implementation. Rebates alone will not close the gap. Communities should explore on-bill financing, micro-PACE, local electrification funds, and creative structures for geothermal and other high-cost measures.
• Workforce is climate infrastructure. Heat pumps do not install themselves. Training, apprenticeships, contractor engagement, and local economic development are central to the plan.
• Local context matters. A policy that works in Denver may not fit Steamboat Springs, Oak Creek, Yampa, or Hayden. Rural mountain communities need tools that reflect their buildings, utilities, contractors, residents, and climate.

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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!

How Jackson Hole Airport is Reducing Emissions

Air travel is one of the hardest emissions problems mountain communities face. Flights are essential — for residents, emergency services, and the visitor economy that sustains these towns — and yet aviation’s carbon footprint is enormous.

In a recent Mountain Towns 2030 webinar, Jac Stelly, Environmental Manager at Jackson Hole Airport, walked through the bold and practical steps his team is taking to reduce emissions. Jackson Hole Airport is the only commercial airport situated entirely within a national park, which means every climate commitment it makes carries extra weight. The elk, the sagebrush, the night sky — all of it is part of the operating context.

Electrifying the Ground Fleet

Planes are the big emitters, but airports have far more direct control over what’s rolling around on the ground. At Jackson Hole, vehicles account for about 63% of the airport’s direct emissions portfolio.

The airport currently operates 79 vehicles — 38 diesel, 21 gas, and 20 electric. That electric number is growing. The team recently secured approval for three new Ford Lightning electric pickups, and they’ve added electric ground power units (GPUs) that plug directly into parked aircraft to run lights and air conditioning without idling the jet engines.

Stelly’s approach to selling the transition internally: lead with function, not emissions. “Range anxiety? We’ve got 28 and a half acres,” he said. At an airport, vehicles idle constantly — exactly the use case where EVs outperform combustion engines.

For heavier equipment, fully electric alternatives are still emerging – butJackson Hole isn’t waiting. They jumped from 300 gallons of renewable diesel in 2024 to roughly 7,000 gallons in 2025. No retrofit required — just drop it in and reduce tailpipe emissions now. Their neighbors at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort are running a 50% summer blend, proof that scaling is doable. Grants and partnerships are crucial in electrifying heavy-duty vehicles. The airport has active grants in progress for two electric fuel trucks and one electric compact loader. They are also partnering with Kodiak Technologies with hopes of demoing a fully electric snowplow.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

For the planes themselves, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the most actionable near-term solution. Made from non-petroleum feedstocks like recycled vegetable oils and agricultural byproducts, SAF cuts lifecycle emissions by 60–70% compared to conventional jet fuel.

Jackson Hole ran its first SAF batch in 2019. The goal now is on-site availability as a standard offering within the next year or two. Aspen has already done it, leveraging a community of private flyers willing to pay a green premium. Jackson Hole, with its high proportion of general aviation traffic, is well-positioned to follow.

Buildings: Geothermal and Dark Sky

Buildings account for roughly 30% of the airport’s emissions. For heating and cooling, Jackson Hole has leaned into geothermal — three systems across the terminal, a hangar, and the new administration building. The economics are strong: the federal Section 48 tax credit can return 30% of initial investment within about 18 months, and it has remained stable across administrations. For mountain towns near geothermal activity — which is most of them — this is an underutilized opportunity.

On lighting, Jackson Hole became the first airport in the world to earn Dark Sky certification. Parking lot lights dim to 30% at night and rise only when motion triggers them. The results benefit wildlife, stargazers, and the electric bill simultaneously.

Renewable Electricity: The Multiplier

Jackson Hole Airport currently purchases 100% renewable electricity through its local utility — and that single decision reshapes their entire emissions picture. Without it, electricity would represent 70% of their footprint and their total emissions would jump by nearly 300%.

“Our greatest opportunity in emissions reductions is the investment in renewable electricity generation,” Jac said. Locking in clean power — whether through purchase agreements, on-site solar, or utility advocacy — is the foundation everything else is built on.

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

• Lead with function. Framing EV and electrification projects around reliability and operational savings wins over skeptics faster than emissions arguments alone.

• Renewable diesel is available now. No retrofit, no delay — a meaningful emissions cut for heavy fleets while full electrification catches up.

• Geothermal is underutilized. For mountain communities near geothermal activity, the Section 48 tax credit makes the economics compelling right now.

• Clean electricity is the multiplier. Every electrification investment delivers its full benefit only when powered by renewable energy — utility partnerships matter as much as the technology itself.

• Airports are climate platforms. Millions of visitors pass through mountain airports each year. What they see modeled there travels home with them.

• Share the momentum. Jackson Hole’s progress accelerated through peer learning — with Aspen on SAF, with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort on renewable diesel, with Dallas and Vancouver on fleet transitions. The network is the strategy.

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Jac Stelly is Environmental Manager at Jackson Hole Airport and a participant in the Mountain Towns 2030 program.

This article is part of the Mountain Towns 2030 webinar recap series. Check out upcoming webinars at mt2030.org/events

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.

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

• Explore partnerships with energy storage providers offering solutions tailored to mountain environments
• Improve grid resilience with systems that reduce outage risk and provide backup power
• Reduce energy costs by managing peak demand and avoiding infrastructure expansion
• Build community trust through education on safety, sustainability, and benefits
• Support smart policy that encourages clean energy innovation and highlights success stories
• Invest in workforce development to support maintenance and long-term operation

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

Rethinking Transportation in Mountain Towns: Local Leaders Share Innovation & Challenges

Transportation in mountain towns comes with unique constraints—remote geography, steep terrain, seasonal population swings, and growing workforce housing challenges.

At the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit in Breckenridge, transit leaders from Park City, Winter Park, and the Telluride–Mountain Village area shared how they are designing systems that meet these realities while advancing climate and community goals.

The session featured Alex Roy, PTP (Park City, Utah), Charles McCarthy, CCTM (Winter Park, Colorado), and James Loebe (Mountain Village Telluride, Colorado), moderated by Edward Parks , a global infrastructure leader). Together, they highlighted how mountain communities are rethinking mobility to reduce congestion, lower emissions, and better serve residents, workers, and visitors.

Transit in Mountain Towns Means Planning for Constant Change

Mountain transit systems must adapt to dramatic seasonal shifts. Winter tourism can drive intense peaks, but summer demand is increasingly significant as outdoor recreation grows year-round.

In Winter Park, CO, this dynamic defines the system. Only two routes run year-round, with the rest deployed in winter. In contrast, Telluride and Mountain Village have seen a reversal in ridership trends. Loebe explained, “We were 60/40 winter summer, and now we’re seeing like 40/60 winter summer,” reflecting the rise of summer visitation.

The takeaway is clear: mountain transit systems must be flexible, responsive, and built for variability.

Park City’s Regional Model Balances Local and Long-Distance Travel

Park City has separated local and regional transit into two complementary systems. Park City Transit focuses on in-town service, while High Valley Transit serves a broader footprint, connecting to surrounding communities and Salt Lake City.

This structure allows each system to specialize while still functioning as part of a larger network.

Within the city, transit has evolved from a single route into a comprehensive system connecting neighborhoods, resorts, and recreation areas. Recent additions, like trailhead connectors, aim to reduce congestion at popular outdoor destinations.

Roy emphasized the importance of aligning transit with housing and development patterns, adding that his team meets regularly with city officials planning low and moderate-income housing developments “to understand where the new developments might be happening… and we work with developers to talk about what the transit system would look like accessing those locations.”

Winter Park Is Building Service Around Workforce and Regional Need

Winter Park’s system, The Lift, serves a large area across Grand County and functions as the region’s only public transit provider.

Because many workers commute across long distances, transit planning is closely tied to workforce needs. McCarthy described bringing employers into the process. “I contacted all the department heads… and said, ‘Hey guys, let’s look at this schedule together. Tell me what works, tell me what doesn’t work,’” he explained.

At the same time, the system must balance visitor demand with essential community trips. As McCarthy noted, “If you set in a route that’s not going to serve those [major destinations], you have to be able to justify that through means other than just ridership.”

This reflects a core reality for mountain transit: not every route is about maximizing ridership—some are about maintaining access and community function.

The Telluride–Mountain Village Gondola Shows the Potential of Mountain-Specific Transit

The Telluride–Mountain Village gondola is a standout example of designing transit around terrain. It replaces what would otherwise be a long and winding drive with a direct aerial connection.

As Loebe explained, “We take a seven and a half mile car ride… about an eighteen- to twenty minute drive… and we turn it into a two and a half mile, direct, twelve minute ride.”

The system supports about 3.1 million passenger trips annually and avoids roughly 5,600 metric tons of CO₂ emissions each year. Loebe added, “It would take 42 50-passenger buses to equal the capacity of the gondola system.”

Originally built as part of environmental mitigation requirements, the gondola is now a core piece of regional infrastructure, funded through local mechanisms including a real estate transfer assessment and voter-approved taxes.

It highlights how non-traditional transit modes can be highly effective in mountain environments where roads are constrained.

Pilots and Experimentation Can Reveal What Works

Mountain communities are increasingly using pilot projects to test ideas before scaling them.

In Park City, experiments—from neighborhood traffic calming to transit service pilots—have helped refine long-term planning. A microtransit pilot revealed limitations, including overlap with existing routes and reduced reliability during peak demand.

As Roy explained, the system struggled when demand was highest, with riders encountering “zero availability” during peak winter conditions.

As a result, the city shifted resources toward fixed-route service, prioritizing predictability over flexibility.

Winter Park is taking a more targeted approach, using microtransit in areas where buses are less effective, rather than replacing core routes.

Electrification Offers Big Promise, but Mountain Conditions Still Matter

Both Park City and Winter Park are transitioning to electric buses, but mountain conditions introduce added complexity.

Roy highlighted both the promise and the challenge: “A cleaner system… a quieter system… [but] EV batteries lose a lot of juice in the winter.”

Cold temperatures, steep terrain, and charging logistics all impact performance, requiring new approaches to planning and operations.

Winter Park is early in its transition, working with partners to install charging infrastructure and identify where electric buses can be most effective. McCarthy emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting that success depends on working closely with operators and maintenance teams to adapt in real time.

Funding and Governance Remain Central Challenges

Transit systems depend on strong regional collaboration and reliable funding. In San Miguel County, early partnerships between municipalities eventually led to a broader regional transportation structure.

But building that kind of system is not always straightforward. Securing voter approval, aligning priorities across jurisdictions, and navigating funding uncertainty remain significant hurdles.

Still, the panel emphasized that transit investments can reduce the need for costly road expansions while improving long-term sustainability and quality of life.

Key Takeaways for Mountain Towns

• Design for seasonality: Plan for major swings in demand across winter, summer, and shoulder seasons.
• Separate local and regional service: Different systems can better serve distinct mobility needs.
• Align transit with housing and workforce: Coordinate with employers and developers to meet real demand.
• Test before scaling: Pilot programs can reveal what works—and what doesn’t.
• Match transit modes to terrain: Consider alternatives like gondolas where geography demands it.
• Plan electrification carefully: Cold weather, charging, and operations all impact performance.

Build strong funding and partnerships: Long-term success depends on regional collaboration and stable funding.Mountain towns sit at the intersection of climate pressure, tourism demand, and geographic constraint. But as this discussion showed, they are also leading innovation in mobility—developing systems that are not only more sustainable, but better suited to the places they serve.

Register for the Mountain Towns 2030 Sun Valley 2026 Climate Solution Summit Here.

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:

• Accelerating electrification and energy efficiency programs.

• Addressing affordability by spreading project costs equitably across the utility’s service territory.

• Enhancing grid resilience to prevent outages during extreme weather.

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:

• Submit data requests and discovery questions to scrutinize utility proposals.
• Provide expert testimony and technical analysis.
• Participate in settlement negotiations to shape outcomes.
• Influence cost allocation to protect affordability.

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.

• Air quality regulators (the Air Quality Control Commission in Colorado) regulate emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants, with direct impacts on public health and climate goals. Local governments can advocate for stronger controls on methane emissions from oil and gas operations, for example.

• Oil and gas commissions (in Colorado, the Energy and Carbon Management Commission) oversee oil and gas operations, geothermal energy, and related activities. In Colorado, local governments have concurrent siting authority over above-ground oil and gas facilities, providing another lever for community influence.

• Wildfire mitigation plans filed by utilities with regulatory agencies are increasingly critical, as wildfire risk drives costs and infrastructure vulnerability. Local governments have successfully influenced these plans to prioritize community safety and grid resilience.

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:

• Build coalitions among neighboring or impacted towns and counties to share resources, expertise, and amplify advocacy.

• Engage early and actively in utility regulatory proceedings, especially as intervening parties rather than just submitting public comments.

• Hire or partner with legal and technical experts to analyze utility filings and develop credible alternatives and arguments.

• Align utility interventions with local climate action plans, affordability goals, and resilience priorities. Tell the stories of your community and how this impacts your residents and businesses.

• Advocate for equitable cost allocation to protect residents from disproportionate rate increases.

• Monitor other regulatory venues such as air quality commissions and wildfire mitigation plan processes.

• Foster ongoing communication with utilities to co-design programs like non-pipeline alternatives and electrification pilots.

• Utilize existing networks and organizations focused on climate and energy advocacy to stay informed and coordinate efforts.

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:

• Conduct initial feasibility studies to identify available thermal resources and potential building loads.
• Engage local governments, utilities, engineers, and financiers early to build coalitions and share knowledge.
• Explore available federal and state incentives, including the Investment Tax Credit and merit-based geothermal tax credits.
• Work with certified geothermal designers and commissioning agents to ensure systems are well designed and implemented.
• Consider thermal energy networks to maximize efficiency by sharing heating and cooling loads among multiple buildings.
• Participate in or establish local geothermal councils or working groups to foster collaboration, address barriers, and develop best practices.
• Learn from pilot projects in other mountain communities to understand challenges and successes.
• Communicate the financial and environmental benefits clearly to build community support and political will.

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 Jackson, Wyoming built a ‘culture of sustainability’ – saving money and reducing pollution

The goal was simple, but the challenge was significant: cut energy use by 10%, reducing pollution and costs for the town and its residents.

But when leaders in Jackson, Wyoming set out to tackle this ambitious goal, it wasn’t just about hitting a number – it was about changing the culture and creating a foundation of collaboration, trust, and innovation that has positioned the mountain town for the future.

At the recent Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, leaders from the Town of Jackson, Teton County, and Lower Valley Energy shared their groundbreaking journey of collaboration to achieve ambitious energy conservation goals, exploring how partnerships between local governments, utilities, and communities can align climate policies with actionable solutions. The efforts of Energy Conservation Works (ECW) – a collaboration between Jackson, Teton County, and Lower Valley Energy – serves as a practical example for other mountain towns addressing climate change challenges.

Executive Director Melissa Turley began by recounting the origins of EWC, which emerged from the Town of Jackson’s ambitious 10×10 Initiative in 2006. The goal was simple yet challenging: reduce the Town and County’s energy use by 10% from 2006 levels by 2010.

“The cheapest kilowatt hour is the one that isn’t used,” Turley emphasized, highlighting their commitment to conservation over consumption.

This early success was the product of collaboration among government entities and Lower Valley Energy, which provided technical expertise and operational support. ECW became formalized through a Town & County Joint Powers Agreement, creating a permanent structure for cooperative action.

“The creation of ECW wasn’t just about reducing energy use—it was about setting the stage for lasting collaboration and innovation,” Turley explained.

The panel highlighted several flagship programs that exemplify ECW’s impact on sustainability in the region:

1. Residential and Commercial Loan Program

James P. O’Brien , Board Chair for ECW and Partner at Baker McKenzie, explained how ECW’s loan program makes energy upgrades accessible to residents and businesses. Offering low-interest loans (1.5%) up to $40,000, the program is administered through Lower Valley Energy’s billing system, allowing participants to repay loans directly on their utility bills.

Projects funded through the program include:

• Energy-efficient windows and insulation upgrades.
• Installation of rooftop solar systems.
• Modern heating systems and programmable thermostats.

“By embedding loan payments into utility bills, we’ve made it easier than ever for people to invest in energy efficiency,” O’Brien said.

2. Community Solar Project

Turley shared details about ECW’s 1-megawatt solar array, a flagship initiative that pairs renewable energy generation with battery storage. The project prioritizes equitable access, reserving subscriptions for low-income households at significantly discounted rates.

Funding sources include:

• A $5 million SPET (Special Purpose Excise Tax) measure, approved by voters.
• Subscriber fees from households and businesses.
• A 30% direct pay reimbursement through the Inflation Reduction Act.

“This solar project not only reduces emissions but ensures that clean energy is accessible to everyone in our community,” Turley said.

Jon Hougland , Chief Financial Officer for Lower Valley Energy, highlighted the unique strengths of Lower Valley Energy’s cooperative model, which prioritizes community needs over profits. This structure has allowed Lower Valley Energy to implement tailored solutions like:

• Hydroelectric facilities providing renewable power to municipal operations.
• Demand-side management programs to optimize energy use.
• Collaboration with ECW to unlock grants and funding for local projects.

“Our cooperative model isn’t just a business structure—it’s a philosophy that aligns perfectly with the goals of ECW,” he explained.

Former Jackson, WY Mayor Mark Barron reflected on the leadership principles that made ECW’s early initiatives successful. From the outset, building trust between local governments, the utility, and the community was a top priority.

“It wasn’t just about cutting energy use,” he said. “It was about creating a culture of sustainability that people could believe in.”

Jackson Town Council Member Jonathan Schechter emphasized that partnerships thrive when grounded in shared values and clear communication. He identified five guiding principles for successful collaboration:

1. Passion: Engage individuals deeply committed to climate action.
2. People: Leverage local expertise to drive innovation and problem-solving.
3. Focus: Maintain a shared vision to align diverse stakeholders.
4. Trust: Build relationships that can withstand differing priorities.
5. Flexibility: Adapt to new challenges and opportunities as they arise.

“Sustainability isn’t static—it’s about evolving to meet the needs of our community while keeping our values at the core,” he said.

The panel also addressed key challenges ECW faces as it continues to grow:

• Engaging Low-Income Residents: Expanding program access to underserved populations remains a priority.
• Grid Resilience: As electric vehicle adoption grows, maintaining infrastructure reliability will require proactive planning.
• Political Realities: Navigating differing priorities among local governments and utilities necessitates ongoing dialogue.

“We’ve learned that success comes from listening as much as leading,” Turley said. “Community input is invaluable.”

For towns seeking to replicate ECW’s success, the panel offered actionable insights:

1. Conduct Energy Audits: Identify inefficiencies to set data-driven priorities.
2. Build Strong Partnerships: Engage governments, utilities, nonprofits, and residents in a shared vision.
3. Diversify Funding Sources: Combine grants, tax measures, and private investments to maximize impact.
4. Embed Equity in Programs: Ensure initiatives serve all community members, particularly those with fewer resources.

“The principles of collaboration and trust apply everywhere. Every community has the potential to lead in sustainability,” O’Brien said.

Energy Conservation Works demonstrates how partnerships between local governments, utilities, and residents can achieve transformative climate solutions. By fostering trust, collaboration, and innovation, Jackson has created a replicable framework for addressing energy challenges in mountain towns and beyond.

“Our story shows that small towns can achieve big things when they work together. It’s a model of what’s possible with trust and shared purpose,” Barrons said.

Watch the full seminar here

“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:

• Climate Action Plan Adoption: All 10 member governments formally adopted the region’s comprehensive climate action plan, a guiding document for reducing emissions and building resilience.
• Microgrid Innovation: Towns like Ridgeway and Rico now host state-of-the-art microgrids capable of powering entire communities during outages.
• Workforce Development: A partnership with the Telluride Foundation is training local workers in solar installation, heat pumps, and electric vehicle (EV) technology to meet growing demand for green energy jobs.

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:

• NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard): While the region has embraced climate action broadly, localized resistance to projects like renewable energy installations persists.
• Resource Constraints: Small rural governments often lack the staff or budgets to pursue large-scale sustainability initiatives independently.
• Diverse Priorities: The region spans ski towns, ranching communities, and mining areas, requiring tailored approaches to gain buy-in.

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.”

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How two mountain towns are embracing clean energy: “Renewables are not only environmentally but economically beneficial”

Making the transition to clean energy isn’t just a survival strategy for mountain towns facing the impacts of a warming climate – but it also offers a significant economic opportunity.

In a discussion at the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Solutions Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, leaders from two mountain towns – Park City, Utah and Ridgway, Colorado – provided a playbook for other communities looking to make the transition.

The conversation, moderated by Volts podcast host david roberts , featured Park City Sustainability Manager Luke Cartin and Terence (Terry) Schuyler , Town Council Member of Ridgway, Colorado and co-op energy specialist speaking to dozens of leaders from mountain towns across America.

The panel delved into the complexities and opportunities of greening electrical grids in small towns and rural areas, exploring the balance between local initiatives and broader systemic limitations.

David Roberts opened the session by emphasizing the central role of electricity in achieving sustainability and decarbonization goals. He noted the unique challenges faced by small towns reliant on larger utility-controlled grids, which often prioritize urban and high-demand areas.

“Electricity is at the heart of sustainability,” he said. “Addressing grid infrastructure and energy sources is key to meeting climate goals.”

Small towns must find innovative ways to modernize their systems, navigate political barriers, and influence utility decisions—no small feat for communities with limited resources.

Luke Cartin showcased Park City’s journey as a renewable energy leader within the larger Rocky Mountain Power utility service area. Despite the constraints of being part of a large grid, the town achieved significant milestones by building strategic partnerships and forming coalitions.

“Collaboration is key,” Cartin said. “By uniting rural and urban communities, we’ve proven that renewables are not only environmentally but economically beneficial.”

Here’s how they they did it:

• Building a Coalition: Park City joined forces with Summit County and Salt Lake City to form the Utah Community Renewable Energy Program, representing nearly 30% of Rocky Mountain Power’s Utah sales.
• Passing Legislation: The coalition supported Utah’s House Bill 411, empowering communities to choose renewable energy through opt-in programs.
• Innovative Procurement: Park City procured an 80-megawatt solar farm on a superfund site, demonstrating the economic viability of renewable projects.

Terry Schuyler brought a contrasting perspective from Ridgway, Colorado, where the town operates within a member-owned cooperative utility framework. Schuyler highlighted how co-ops can serve as powerful tools for advancing local renewable energy goals.

“Our co-op model allows us to align renewable energy goals with community needs, making progress that’s tangible and locally relevant,” Schuyler said.

Some of the strategies Ridgway used include:

• Community Solar Gardens: Ridgway developed solar gardens that maximize its co-op’s 5% cap on self-generated power.
• Totally Green Program: Residents and municipalities can purchase renewable energy credits for a nominal premium, enabling Ridgway’s municipal operations to run entirely on renewable energy.
• Sustainability Park: A six-acre site is being transformed into a model for sustainable development, featuring solar-powered EV chargers, educational centers, and microgrid infrastructure.

Both Cartin and Schuyler addressed the challenges of advancing clean energy in politically conservative and rural regions. Cartin shared how Park City framed renewable energy as a tool for local control and economic stability to overcome skepticism. Meanwhile, Schuyler described using transparent dialogue and persistent outreach to win over critics.

“Local control and economic benefits resonate deeply. Framing renewables as tools for independence can help overcome barriers,” Cartin suggested.

The discussion emphasized the importance of resilience as rural towns face increasing threats from climate change and natural disasters. Both Park City and Ridgway are investing in microgrids to improve energy independence and reliability.

In Ridgway, a $2.5 million grant is funding a town-wide microgrid with solar systems feeding into a decentralized energy network.

And in Park City, efforts are focused on isolating critical infrastructure, like hospitals, from the larger grid through localized renewables and underground distribution lines.

“Resilience isn’t just about surviving disasters—it’s about thriving in the face of them,” Roberts said.

The session concluded with a lively Q&A addressing misinformation about renewables. The panelists underscored the importance of community education and transparent storytelling.

“The truth won’t tell itself,” Roberts argued. “Proactively sharing accurate, compelling narratives about renewables is essential to their success.”

Key takeaways for success?

1. Build Coalitions: Collaboration among towns amplifies influence and enables large-scale renewable energy projects.

1. Leverage Local Control: Frame renewables as tools for independence and economic stability to gain community buy-in.
2. Invest in Resilience: Microgrids and distributed energy systems enhance energy reliability and disaster preparedness.
3. Engage and Educate: Transparent communication and persistent outreach are essential to overcoming opposition and skepticism.

The panel underscored the transformative potential of small towns in driving the clean energy transition. Through coalitions, co-op collaboration, and innovative resilience projects, communities like Park City and Ridgway are proving that sustainable progress is not only possible but economically and socially beneficial.

Mountain Towns 2030 is a non-profit organization empowering a movement of mountain towns committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030. If you’d like to learn more or support MT2030’s work, click here.

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Climate action starts at home: How individuals and and communities can drive change: “The clean energy transition is happening now”

Speaking to dozens of leaders from mountain towns across America, co-founder and CEO of the non-profit Rewiring America Ari Matusiak and Volts podcast host david roberts emphasized that the journey to net-zero emissions starts at home – and they urged leaders not to underestimate the power of demand from their communities.

In a discussion at the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Solutions Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Matusiak and Roberts spoke about “kitchen table decisions” that can create collective impact towards climate solutions.

“Nearly 42% of energy-related emissions in the U.S. originate from five household-level decisions: how we drive, heat our homes, heat water, cook food, and dry clothes,” he said.

By focusing on these “kitchen table decisions,” Matusiak explained, communities can create substantial collective impact.

Roberts described this shift as the “demand-side revolution,” emphasizing the power of individuals to reshape energy systems through their choices.

“Electrification isn’t just about reducing emissions—it’s about putting power back in the hands of households and communities,” Roberts said.

Rewiring America’s mission is to electrify everything – and make it easier for consumers to take advantage of rebates and incentives for sustainable upgrades available through the Inflation Reduction Act, including:

• Tax credits for solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, electric vehicles (EVs), and induction stoves
• Rebates for low- and middle-income households, reducing the upfront costs of electrification
• Incentives for contractors to specialize in electrification technologies

“The IRA is like an electric bank account for every household,” Matusiak explained. “The challenge now is making sure people know how to access it.”

To do that, Rewiring America has developed practical tools:

• The Rewiring America Calculator: A user-friendly tool that consolidates federal, state, and local incentives, showing households what they qualify for
• Electric Coaches: Trained volunteers who guide individuals through the electrification process, answering questions and addressing concerns.
• Personal Electrification Planners to help people get started

Rewiring America’s Rewiring Communities initiative also aggregates local demand to drive down costs and standardize installations. This approach creates a ripple effect, making electrification more accessible and attractive to residents.

“Aggregating demand doesn’t just save money—it builds momentum,” Matusiak said, “When one neighbor installs a heat pump, others follow.”

Here’s how it can work:

• Bulk purchasing: Communities buy heat pumps, induction stoves, and other equipment in bulk to secure lower prices.
• Streamlined installations: Coordinated scheduling with trained contractors ensures efficiency and quality.
• Carbon offsets: Bundling emissions reductions from electrified homes generates funding for local projects.

Roberts identified a significant barrier to electrification: a shortage of skilled contractors familiar with new technologies.

“This is a chicken-and-egg problem. Contractors won’t embrace electrification without demand, and households won’t demand it without skilled contractors,” he said.

To address that gap, they suggested that local leaders partner with manufacturers to train contractors, launch pilot programs to build a network of reliable installers, and offer resources and financial support to contractors adopting electrification practices.

Matusiak also addressed fears about grid reliability, a common concern as communities shift to electric systems. He suggested several ways communities can improve their resilience:

• Distributed Energy Resources (DERs): Homes equipped with solar panels, batteries, and EVs can act as mini power plants, improving resilience during outages.
• Innovative Appliances: Induction stoves with built-in batteries are being developed, allowing continued use during power outages.
• Microgrids: Community-scale microgrids offer localized energy independence and stability.

“Electrification doesn’t weaken the grid—it strengthens it by making it smarter and more distributed,” Matusiak said.

The bottom line? “The clean energy transition isn’t a far-off dream—it’s happening now, one household at a time,” Roberts said.

Roberts and Matusiak left the audience with actionable insights:

1. Households have power: By electrifying homes, individuals can significantly reduce emissions and save on energy costs.
2. Communities drive change: Aggregated demand creates cost savings and inspires broader adoption.
3. The IRA Is a gamechanger: With billions in incentives, the IRA makes electrification more affordable than ever.
4. Simplify the process: Tools like the Rewiring America Calculator make navigating incentives easier for households.

Achieving net-zero emissions doesn’t require waiting for sweeping policy changes or technological breakthroughs – by focusing on household-level decisions and empowering communities, home electrification offers a practical, scalable solution.

“The clean energy future isn’t just possible—it’s already underway,” Roberts said.

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