In the ski business, opening first is a big deal. People will flock to your mountain just so they can get the first tracks for the season. The issue with opening first is that it usually consists of a large and extreme costly snow making operation. If you make snow and then the weather warms, the investment washes away. Many resorts can’t make this bet due to the high cost of electricity to run the pump to provide water all the way up the mountain.

One resort, Jiminy Peak in western Massachusetts, has found a way to beat the odds. Two summers ago Jiminy Peak installed a GE 1.5MW wind turbine midway up its 2000FT peak. During the winter the turbine can produce up to half of the resort’s power and annually provides a third of the power for Jiminy Peak. The wind turbine greatly reduces Jiminy Peak’s electric cost and allows it to make a bet on snowmaking without the large economic impact of other ski resorts in the area. This has allowed Jiminy Peak to open two to four weeks earlier than other resorts in the area. This has paid off and the resort just recently announced that the 08-09 season has had a record number of skier up until this point in the year. This is an amazing feat given the dire status of the economy, and shows that being green pays off in multiple ways.