Aspen's pristine natural beauty is what makes it a special place to live, work, and play. A number of local businesses, nonprofits, government organizations, and community members advocate for the environment and implement sustainable practices in an effort to protect the natural beauty that defines us. Discover how Aspen is a leading sustainable destination and how you can get involved:
Here is a summary of the programs that the City of Aspen is operating on renewable energy programs currently in place and future programs in development. For more information about the below topics, visit the City of Aspen's climate action page.
- Hydroelectric Generation Facilities: The City of Aspen currently operates two hydroelectric plants at Ruedi Reservoir and Maroon Creek.
- Wind Power: The City of Aspen's Electric Utility purchases wind power from 7 wind turbines located in 3 states: South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. The Aspen Electric 100% renewable load is currently divided up as 46% hydroelectric, 53% wind power, and 1% landfill gas.
- Solar: A solar thermal panel system is helping us meet our domestic hot water supply, and the water department has installed a solar voltaic system on the electric grid under the Solar Voltaic Project, reducing our community's carbon footprint by an estimated 9,215,000 lbs.
Other Municipal Environmental Initiatives:
Smart Use of Water
The City of Aspen has made improvements to the municipal water distribution system which has resulted in water-use levels similar to those existing in Aspen in the 1950s, all despite a dramatic increase in population. Efficiency is a priority as seen in the Aspen public golf course where 30 million gallons of water are saved each year thanks to a state-of-the-art irrigation system. In addition, water-saving technology is used in all 35 city parks.
Green Parks & Open Space
Aspen Parks Department manages approximately 1,300 acres of open space and 25 parks within and around the city in addition to supporting an active land acquisition program.
Recycling
The city of Aspen's Recycling Ordinance requires recycling to be part of basic trash service for all residential, multi-family, and commercial customers and was the first in Colorado to include the commercial sector. To encourage residents to recycle, the city has a "pay as you throw" policy, making the cost of a 64-gallon trash bin at least twice the cost of a 32-gallon trash bin.
Cleaner Air and Better Transportation
The city of Aspen operates eight shuttle routes providing free transit service to more than 1 million residents and visitors each year. The City also boasts a unique car-share program, offering residents a fleet of vehicles to rent for a small cost instead of owning a car. Most of the City's shuttle, transit, and car-share vehicles use hybrid and biodiesel technology. The Rio Grande Trail, which connects Glenwood Springs to Aspen (41 miles!) offers alternative transportation for cyclists, pedestrians, and inline skaters.
The city of Aspen helps commuters find carpool partners and provides free parking to qualifying carpools. Local employers are provided grants and other incentives when they establish alternative commuting programs.
Building Greener
In 2023, the City of Aspen released its Aspen Sustainability Action Plan as a roadmap for our community to accomplish Aspen’s science-based targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 63.4% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 from 2017 levels. The plan focuses on five priority areas: energy supply, buildings, vehicles and transportation, waste, and aviation and airport.
How can you help? Here are 5 quick things you can do on a daily basis to help our environment:
- Use a refillable water bottle. The Ute Mountaineer has a great selection of reusable bottles to take on your next hike.
- Ride a bike or walk to town. WeCycle, our community-supported bike share program, has bikes accessible in town and offers free 30-minute rides.
- Recycle and help keep Aspen clean! If you see plastic bottles or garbage lying around, pick it up and toss it in one of our many bins found throughout Aspen.
- Switch to reusable bags for groceries. Our local grocers provide reusable bags for purchase at checkout.
- Share the knowledge and learn more. The Colorado Green Business Network of Aspen is a program that supports and recognizes local businesses that are committed to sustainability. Learn about the participants and how they are making a difference in our community.
