SAM Magazine—Jay Peak, Vt., April 26, 2023—Jay Peak Resort plans to install a 3-megawatt (MW) electric boiler capable of providing 100 percent of the heating for the 176-room Hotel Jay and Conference Center and the Pump House indoor water park, as well as numerous resort restaurants and retail spaces. 

The $1 million project, reportedly one of the largest standalone carbon reduction projects in Vermont’s history, is expected to save the resort 60 percent, or $250,000 per year, in propane costs. Officials anticipate the boiler will reduce carbon emissions by 2,500 tons per year.

“Jay Peak was fortunate to have been purchased, ultimately, by a company whose forward-thinking approaches to energy consumption and management allowed us to integrate this project,” said Jay Peak president and general manager Steve Wright. “While it will have cost- and energy-savings for seasons to come, the price tag was real and both PGRI (Pacific Group Resorts Inc.) and our partners, should be commended for stepping up.”

Funding for the project is supported through grants from a variety of local utilities and state agencies including Medley Thermal, Vermont Electric Co-Op, Efficiency Vermont, Vermont Gas Systems, the State of Vermont, and the State of Massachusetts. 

“This ground-breaking project has brought together partners to develop a solution that not only helps achieve decarbonization goals, but also leads Vermont into a more resilient, flexible and renewable energy future,” said Efficiency Vermont managing director Peter Walke in a press release. 

Using Medley Thermal software, Jay Peak will switch from its existing propane boilers to a new electricity-powered system when local renewable energy is abundant and power prices are low, enabling the resort to reduce energy costs and emissions. Officials say the project pairs new technology with a dynamic utility pricing contract that matches power demand with local supply in real-time, “bringing valuable flexibility to the electric grid.”  

“Hats off to Jay Peak and all of the involved partners for having the vision and commitment to jump into the next stage of innovation for a sustainable energy future,” said Andrea Cohen, Vermont Electric Co-Op manager of government affairs and member relations. “Demonstrating that we can save carbon and save money will show what is possible and what is imperative.”

In addition to the boiler, Jay Peak also recently upgraded its infrastructure to transfer waste heat from ice production in the resort’s indoor skating arena to heating in the waterpark, reducing the amount of fossil fuels required to do the same work and the carbon footprint of the hotel complex.