Blue Sky community projects

Cottonwood Heights recognizes the important role that sustainability plays in the quality of life it offers to community members. To strive toward greater sustainability within municipal operations, and among the broader community, Cottonwood Heights adopted an Interlocal Sustainability Action Plan in Summer 2021, alongside Holladay and Millcreek. This plan provides direction for a multitude of sustainability initiatives, including those for renewable energy. Incorporating a solar array at City Hall was identified as a priority project by the Cottonwood Heights City Council, and we are incredibly grateful for the Blue Sky Grant Program which made this goal a reality. Our installation would not have been possible without the generous support of Blue Sky customers and Rocky Mountain Power! 

Save Harbor, a non-profit organization, provides shelter, supportive services, and advocacy to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as well as education, awareness, and resources to the community. The 61 kW solar array will provide 81% of the electricity used at the facility and help them with their goal to help the community with services but also model responsible use of energy and minimize their environmental footprint. 

Utah State University Moab's new campus building located south of the city of Moab will be a combustion-free, net-zero energy building, passively designed to harness southern solar energy using thermal mass in the walls and floor: Deep overhangs create a series of covered porches, allowing for indoor activities to spill outside.

Students and visitors will enjoy a campus reflecting Moab's natural landscape, linking them to their broader ecosystem.

The city of Moab and its citizens are focused on sustainability and limiting their impacts on their surroundings. From the outset of the design of the building the focus has been to minimize the impacts of the building on the environment and for the building to act as a teaching tool for the community sustainable construction.

The 492 module solar array was placed on the parking canopies and is in an ideal position.

Itineris Early College High School is a public charter high school focusing on math and science. Founded in 2004 in West Jordan, the school serves 10-12th graders and partners with Salt Lake Community College in offering an extensive list of concurrent enrollment classes. Itineris is a STEM designated school and focuses on college and career readiness by offering a rigorous curriculum with structured academic support in small learning communities. Itineris was recently recognized as the #33 Best STEM High Schools in the nation (only public high school from Utah in the top 500).

One of the components of Itineris' Mission Statement is "civic responsibility". By making the school a model of sustainability they set an example for both the students and the community for being stewards of the environment.

Mission Statement for the school: “To create a learning community that inspires high expectations, supports intellectual challenges, and encourages self-discovery and civic responsibility to maximize individual potential.”

Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Customers are honored to celebrate the completion of the 186th renewable energy grant project since 2006.

85-module solar array was installed on the roof of the new 8-unit apartment as well as the parking canopies for the complex. The solar array was designed to help visitors learn about the technology that was used to have the Sprout Studios building be a net zero building. 100% of the Sprout Studios station’s energy now comes from the sun.

The mission of Wasatch Community Gardens is to empower people to grow and eat healthy, organic, local food. Since 1989, they have provided children, adults, and families in Salt Lake County with access to land and education for growing and eating fresh produce, while building and nurturing community connections through gardening and healthy food.

Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Customers are honored to celebrate the new Salt Lake School District transportation bus solar canopy.

The school bus solar canopy consists of 500 solar panels, generating more than 256,000 kWh of renewable energy each year. From an environmental standpoint, this will have the same greenhouse gas emissions reduction impact as taking 40 passenger vehicles off the road. This installation will charge 12 bus charging stations for buses that emit zero emissions in an underserved area of the school district.

To fulfill the Sustainability Resolution the school board aims to achieve two goals: to use 100% clean renewable energy in its electricity sector by 2030 and to meet 100% of all district operations energy needs with carbon neutral energy by 2040. 

The Egyptian Theatre is a community asset dedicated to enriching lives through the performing arts. They have installed 64 solar panels on the roof of the theatre in Park City, Utah, generating more than 37,000 kilowatt-hours of solar energy, which will be 30% of the theatre’s usage.

The Egyptian Theatre opened on Christmas Day, 1926. The Theatre operated as a community gathering place from that day forward. Today the theatre hosts a variety of theatre, comedy, musical acts, special events, community functions and more. The Egyptian Theatre continues to function as a landmark venue on Park City’s Main Street while retaining the distinctive flavor of years gone by, much like Park City itself. 

Catholic Community Services of Utah has installed a total of 132 solar panels on the warehouse/food storage building in Ogden, Utah, generating more than 65,000 kilowatt-hours of solar energy. 23% of their energy now comes from the sun!

CCS’ Ogden programs support low-income individuals and families struggling with food and income insecurity through food distribution, case management, and resource connections. The Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank is the largest assistance pantry in the region, and typically helps over 5,000 households every month.

CCS has a mission statement that direct directs them to help people “through service, support and collaboration”. This collaborative effort will allow them to reinvest in their programs, allowing them to purchase specific food and items that are greatly needed to support the children and families in their programs. Blue Sky customers are proud to be part of Catholic Community Services project and applaud them for their effort to increase renewable energy.

Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky Customers are honored to celebrate the completion of the 184th renewable energy grant project since 2006.

76  solar panels have been installed to support the project. 90% of the nature center's energy now comes from the sun. 

Wasatch Mountain Institute, working in partnership with Utah State Parks, Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation, and the Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky Program have revitalized for public use an extensive network of accessible boardwalk, installed interpretive trailhead signage, repaired and reopened restroom facilities, and reestablished electrical power to serve all trailhead resources.

The Rock Cliff Recreation Area is an oasis nestled in the eastern arm of the Jordanelle Reservoir where deer, owls, migrating ducks, and spawning Kokanee Salmon are abundant. The mission of the Wasatch Mountain Institute is to provide programs to engage students, teachers, families, and visitors in outdoor education and recreations pursuits that build a sense of place and deepen scientific inquiry and knowledge. The Nature Center will teach people about the local ecosystem as well as reducing human impact on the environment. 

This 65-panel solar array produces 24.7kW and will generate about 31% of the electricity the building consumes annually. Because this new renewable project allows them to generate their own electricity, they will save on energy costs - that means they can dedicate more of their budget to their core mission of serving Lander's seniors.  A dual-port level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station is located in the parking lot. The station is fueled with solar energy and serves the community. An EV charger is also installed in the garage of the Lander Senior Center for future growth of a potential EV vehicle to transport seniors around town.  

The City of Laramie's citizens are the primary motivation for pursuing a partnership with Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Program to install solar panels and a public EV charging station at the Laramie Fire Department Station #3 site. This project aligns with the City's mission to pursue strategies to eliminate municipal operations carbon emissions by the year 2050. This project is one of many inaugural steps toward meeting that ambitious citizen-driven goal.

The City has further committed to doing its part to ensure a healthy environment for its residents by supporting recycling, protecting air and water quality, and saving endangered species. More than 1,000 Blue Sky Program participants reside in Laramie and it is through their support of the program that this solar project was successful

The Downtown Clinic completed a renewable energy project that will allow the center to make a larger impact on the community.

The Laramie nonprofit, which provides services to those in the community without access to healthcare, is now being powered by the sun.

Made possible by a $33,675 grant from Blue Sky customers, the 25-panel solar array offsets 98 percent of the clinic’s energy usage. The project also includes Wyoming’s first Blue Sky battery storage system that will keep medical supplies, such as vaccines, properly stored during an emergency.

“This project has allowed us to save money and provide more services to our clients,” said Pete Gosar, Downtown Clinic executive director. “This means more emergency dental services, more vision exams, and more prescription medicines for families in need. We are extremely thankful.”

The clinic reports that the cost savings generated each year is equivalent to over 200 prescription medications, 20 eye exams or the costs of 60 primary care visits. 

The Riverton Senior Center was established in 1972. The mission of the center is to support the independence of seniors. While the center also serves as a community center; the main goal is supporting the senior population 60 years and over. The center provides transportation to and from needed services, congregate meals, home delivered meals, educational programs and a wide variety of social and recreational programs designed to help keep seniors active and involved in the community.

While the total amount of renewable energy produced by this system is small relative to the annual usage of the Senior Center; it is a step forward in solving the environmental issues we face today and into the future.

Laramie has installed 78 panels on both the Recreation Center and the Ice & Event Center which will generate 79,000 kilowatt-hours of solar energy each year. This project is the start of the City’s carbon neutrality efforts and will benefit the community by decreasing electrical costs and increasing the education on solar projects in Wyoming. The annual estimated combined environmental savings for the Recreation and Ice Centers are equivalent to 1,317 trees planted, or 65,570 pounds of coal saved. 

In 2015, the University of Wyoming completed the installation of a new solar carport structure adjacent to the War Memorial Stadium. 

This project is the third at the university to receive funding from Blue Sky customers. Other renewable energy projects are installed at Bim Kendall House and University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service in Casper. 

Besides helping the university offset energy costs, the renewable projects help educate students and the community about solar and wind energy. 

Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Customers are honored to celebrate the completion of the 160th renewable energy grant project since 2006. This project consists of 3 different arrays at West Side High School, Preston Jr. High School, and Malad High School. All 3 sites installed a 38.5 kW system which consists of 108 panels each.

These Southeastern Idaho Professional Technical Charter Schools focus on a curriculum of skills that are needed in today’s world. As a learning institution they pride themselves in finding new ways to keep students engaged. Being able to use solar energy as a way to motivate students to learn math, engineering, science, electronics, and other subjects will keep students engaged in learning.

Consolidated Irrigation Company (CIC), based in Preston, Idaho, undertook a major effort to pipe their irrigation ditch to correct seepage problems. As a part of the piping project, CIC installed a low-impact hydroelectric power system to capture the energy of water moving through the irrigation pipe.

In 2015, CIC completed installation of a 481-kilowatt generator. The generator feeds power directly into Rocky Mountain Power’s electric system and helps keep costs low for the nonprofit irrigation network. The project location provides great exposure to local schools and visitors to the nearby Glendale Reservoir.

The Idaho Wind for Schools program installed wind turbines at Midway Middle School and Rigby High School, giving students a hands-on math and science learning opportunity to incorporate into the schools’ renewable energy programs.

Generation data is monitored and shared with other schools.

Live monitoring:

• Midway Middle School
• Rigby Senior High School