In the March-April edition of the Town newsletter, the Mayor announced the Springdale Blue Sky Renewable Energy Challenge. The challenge is to increase the amount of renewable energy purchased by the community through Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky renewable energy program (note this is not the same as the Blue Sky recycling program). The kick off of the challenge was publicly announced during the Earth Day celebration on April 19th. The Springdale Blue Sky Renewable Energy Challenge will run for six months, from Earth Day 2008 to the Town’s Sun Festival on October 11, 2008. The goal of the challenge is to have 15 percent of the community enrolled in the Blue Sky renewable energy program.

As of Earth Day, 6.35 percent of the community participated in the program. While many of these are residential customers, six businesses participate as well. The current business participants are:

Bit & Spur
Flannigan’s Inn
Regalo
Walking Stick
Bumbleberry Inn
and the Town of Springdale

Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program gives its customers a way to support newly developed renewable energy generation in the region, minimize their environmental footprint and increase the demand for emission-free renewable energy. Customers can purchase wind energy generated in the western United States in 100-kilowatt-hour increments, called blocks, for $1.95 per block per month in addition to their regular electricity bill. Business customers can buy Blue Sky blocks in bulk at a discount through our Blue Sky QS (Quantity Savings) option.

Over a year’s time, every block purchased will avoid carbon dioxide emissions by 1.2 tons – creating environmental benefits equivalent to not driving more than 2,571 miles or planting 236 trees.

We thank those that currently participate in the program for your commitment to the environment. And we hope the residents and businesses in Springdale will step up to the challenge and help
meet the goal.

In early June, Bonnie Christiansen of Utah Clean Energy, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing clean energy in Utah, will be in Springdale to assist business customers in learning more about their Blue Sky options and the ways businesses can receive public recognition for their participation. Bonnie can be reached at bonnie@utahcleanenergy.org.

You can find out more about the Blue Sky power program on the Rocky Mountain Power website. The address is www.rockymountainpower.net/bluesky.

Please click here for a a Blue Sky fact sheet.

Businesses who wish to enroll before Bonnie's visit in June may contact her directly at Utah Clean Energy. Her contact information is:

Bonnie R. Christiansen
Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Utah Clean Energy
1014 East 2nd Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
(801) 363-4046
bonnie@utahcleanenergy.org