(NECN: Amy Sinclair) - Skiing is a great way for families to experience the outdoors, but increasingly, skiers worry about the sport's impact.
Mt. Abram, a privately-owned ski area in Greenwood, Maine, is working to reduce its carbon snowprint, recently winning a Golden Eagle award for its innovations.
“We really try to do all we can to fight global warming,” said general manager Kevin Rosenberg.
Mt. Abram started its green transition by installing 70 low-energy tower snow-making guns.
“And that dropped snow-making expenditures by two thirds and increased capacity by one third,” Rosenberg said.
The changes make both environmental and economic sense. The 5,500-square foot base lodge is now kept warm with wood pellets, a switch that reduced the company's use of No. 2 heating oil by 68 percent.
And just over the tree line, they plan to install more than an acre of solar panels, making Mt. Abram the first net negative energy ski area in the country/
That concern about all the gas it takes to drive there?
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Just this week, the ski area installed two EV charging stations.
While most skiers are probably much more focused on the terrain and ski conditions when they come, they say they appreciate the effort.
“I think people feel better knowing you're at a place that's trying to be as environmentally conscious as possible,” one mom said.
