by Yahoo News

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., November 2, 2021 – For mountain ski towns like Vail, Colorado, climate change and warming temperatures pose an existential threat to the heavy snowpack on which the area’s tourism economy is based. To help reduce emissions, the Town of Vail turned to Black & Veatch, a global leader in electrification and engineering solutions, to upgrade its electrical systems as it prepares for 100-percent electrification of its public bus fleet.

Growing interest in high-efficiency, pollution- and emissions-reducing transit is propelling electrified mass transit projects across the United States. Against the pristine backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, Vail is among the first U.S. cities to begin full electrification of its diesel bus fleet. Certified under the Mountain IDEAL standard as a sustainable destination—the first mountain resort destination in the world to do so—the Town of Vail has goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% reduction in 2025, 50% by 2030, and 80% by 2050.

The Town of Vail selected Black & Veatch, a global leader in high-power electric vehicle charging infrastructure, to provide the consulting and pre-construction services required to prepare the town’s current facilities for conversion. GILLIG was selected as the bus manufacturer while ChargePoint was chosen as the charging station provider. Together, the partners helped deliver the town’s first four electric buses—the earliest of a planned 33 to be cycled into the public fleet—helping Vail achieve an important step toward its sustainability commitment.

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