Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program gives its customers a way to support newly developed renewable energy generation, minimize the environmental impacts associated with their electricity use and increase the demand for renewable energy.

Blue Sky business partners in Utah include the following outdoor-oriented businesses: Alta Lodge, Alta Ski Area, Amer Sports Winter and Outdoor Americas Co., Basin Recreation (Park City and Snyderville locations), The Canyons, Cole Sport, Deer Valley Resort Co., Jans Mountain Outfitters, Stein Ericksen Lodge, The Front Climbing Club, Sundance Resort, Rustler Lodge, Petzl America, Dive Addicts, Moki Mac River Expeditions, Arches National Park, Canyon Voyages Adventure Company, Canyonlands Campground and Tesoro, Canyonlands National Park, Moab Adventure Center, Tag-A-Long Expedition, Western River Expeditions, Bingham Cyclery (Ogden, Salt Lake City, Sandy and Sunset stores), Nidecker Snowboards, Skis on the Run, White Pine Touring, Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., Canyon Bicycles of Salt Lake, Contender Bicycles, Zion National Park (Visitors Center); The Deep Powder House, Canyonlands Field Institute, International Adventure Tours, Pack Creek Campground, Poison Spider Bicycles, Red River Canoe Company, Rim Tours, Ogden Nature Center, Olde Salt Bikes, Park City Golf Club, Swaner Nature Preserve, Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective, Wasatch Touring and Wild Rose Mountain Sports.

Blue Sky is one of the most popular green-power programs in the United States and was named 2007 Green Power Program of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy. More than 23,500 residential and business customers in Utah buy Blue Sky renewable energy. Blue Sky is now Green-e Energy Certified. This certification ensures that Blue Sky customers are helping to expand renewable energy resources beyond what is required by state and federal law.

Customers who participate in the Blue Sky program support newly developed renewable energy generation above and beyond what Rocky Mountain Power already includes in the mix of resources used to generate electricity for all of its customers. The company has a target of adding 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy to its resource portfolio by 2013. Blue Sky provides an avenue for customers to support even more renewable energy on the system and reduce their carbon footprint.

In 2007, a total of 60,539 customers in the western United States participated in the Blue Sky program. Over a year’s time, their purchases helped avoid 767,237,771 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions – creating annual environmental benefits equivalent to taking 65,752 cars off the road for a year or planting 150,685 acres of trees.

Blue Sky customers support newly developed renewable energy generation equal to their Block purchase and help provide funding for community-based renewable energy projects that demonstrate the successful application of renewable energy technologies. By participating in the Blue Sky program, customers support currently available renewable resources as well as aid the development of new renewable resources in the region.

Blue Sky is sold in 100 kilowatt-hour increments, called blocks, for an additional $1.95 per block per month. Business customers can receive discounted pricing for bulk purchases through Blue Sky QS. Enrollment in the program is voluntary and customers can increase their participation or withdraw at any time.

Several Utah communities have demonstrated support for renewable energy through their participation in the Blue Sky program, either by local government purchases or community challenges. These include: Alta, Castle Valley, Cedar Hills, Moab, Ogden, Park City, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Springdale and the residential communities of Sundance and Kennecott Land’s Daybreak.

For more information, or to sign up for Blue Sky, call toll free at 800-769-3717 or  click here.