Cranmore Recognised As NH Large Business Energy Champion

Cranmore Mountain Resort was recently awarded this year’s Energy Champion for the Large Business category during NH Energy Week. The NH Energy Week awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made great strides in energy efficiency and utilizing clean energy, and who stand out as champions of NH’s energy future.  The large business category is open to businesses of 100 employees or more. Other categories included Small Business, Municipality, and Legislator.   The awards ceremony was held at Litherman’s Limited Brewery in Concord, on Friday, April 15.

Cranmore has been a trailblazer of sustainability in the New Hampshire alpine ski industry, working to incorporate energy efficiency into all aspects of their resort operations. The resort has invested over $1 million into snowmaking upgrades and technologies, allowing them to reduce snowmaking hours by 25%, make snow faster utilizing smaller windows of cold weather, and reduce electric use by almost half.   In 2016 Cranmore was among the first tourism destinations to install Tesla charging stations; their master plan includes the addition of more Tesla and generic charging stations.   In 2016 Cranmore was the first resort east of the Mississippi to add an electric diesel snow cat to their grooming fleet, which uses 30% less diesel than a standard snowcat.  

The recently built Kearsarge Brook Condominiums, part of the resort’s Master Redevelopment, was one of the first condominium buildings in New Hampshire to use an electric heat pump system for heating and air conditioning.  All future buildings in the Master Development Plan, including the Fairbank Lodge which broke ground this March, will include electric heat pump systems. 

“We’ve instilled a culture of environmental sustainability amongst our management team, employees, and parent company to be a sustainable resort for years to come,” said Marketing Director, Becca Deschenes.  “We’re proud of what we have accomplished so far, and we’re looking forward to what we can do in the future.”

Brian Fairbank, Chairman of the Fairbank Group, whose portfolio of ski resorts includes Cranmore Mountain Resort, Jiminy Peak Resort, and Bromley has been recognized as a ski industry pioneer in enhancing snowmaking technology, green energy, and sustainability. 

New Hampshire Energy Week is a series of events co-organized by partner organizations that highlight prominent energy topics and issues, providing a forum to discuss solutions, and bringing in leading experts.  2022 Organizing Partners include Clean Energy NH, The Nature Conservancy, Community Development Finance Authority, Ski NH, Ceres, Inc., NH Small Business Development Center, NH Businesses for Social Responsibility, and NH Brewer’s Association.