Climate Action & Sustainability

Realizing our collective responsibility to address the climate crisis, Summit County is dedicated to employing a variety of climate action and sustainability strategies to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce waste. These strategies address the emissions and waste of both County government and the larger Summit County community.

Strategies include building efficiency improvements, renewable electricity generation, transportation electrification and transportation system improvements, among others.

Solarize Summit & 

Home Energy Assessments

This summer, HC3 and the Summit Climate Action Collaborative are offering residents and businesses an opportunity for significant discounts on solar panel installations. Participants in Solarize Summit can leverage bulk-purchasing power to take advantage of exclusive discounts. Discounts increase as the number of participants increases. Registration is open for Solarize Summit 2023 and Home Energy Assessments to save money on your utility bills.

Learn more about Solarize Summit.

Learn more about Home Energy Assessments.

Summit Community Climate Action Plan

The Summit County Board of Commissioners adopted the Summit Community Climate Action Plan (CAP) on April 23, 2019. The plan sets goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Summit County 50 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050, relative to a 2005 baseline. The plan also outlines recommended strategies to be pursued over the coming years to achieve those emissions reductions.

Checkout Summit County's Climate Action Journey StoryMap

Solar panels in Frisco

Summit Climate Action Collaborative

In February 2018, Summit County began participating in a community-wide effort to develop and implement a climate action plan through the Summit Climate Action Collaborative. High Country Conservation Center (HC3) is facilitating the collaborative, with participation from Summit County, local towns, ski areas, utilities, Summit School District, Colorado Mountain College and other key stakeholders.

The Summit Collaborative hired Lotus Engineering and Sustainability to support the development of the CAP and complete an initial community-wide GHG emissions inventory for Summit County. Like many communities, emissions in Summit County are largely generated through energy use in buildings and transportation – 65 percent and 33 percent, respectively, in Summit County.

Plan Development and Implementation

The Summit Community Climate Action Plan was adopted by Summit Climate Action Collaborative member organizations, and all participating organizations dedicated staff time to participate in development and implementation of the policies, programs and initiatives identified in the plan.

Over a six-month timeframe, the collaborative developed recommended approaches for reducing locally generated GHG emissions, which were then modeled for their emissions-reduction potential. The collaborative solicited input from energy experts and the larger community. The CAP outlines strategies to reduce energy use in buildings, increase the supply of clean renewable energy and reduce emissions from the transportation and waste sectors.

Through the collaborative, the County and towns plan to work with Xcel Energy, Mountain Parks Electric and other community partners to jointly develop and implement plans, programs and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout Summit County. The collaborative approach is intended to maximize efficiency and coordination, minimize duplication of efforts and create a shared community roadmap for implementation that fosters a holistic evaluation of key opportunities across jurisdictions. 

Plan Priorities

Key implementation priorities include: 

  • Develop a shared work plan to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity countywide by 2035
  • Transition to electrification of the transportation sector, reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles and increase use of public transit, walking and bicycling
  • Amend local building and land use codes to increase energy efficiency, renewable energy installations, EV charging infrastructure, transportation connectivity and multimodal access, recycling and food scrap collection and water conservation in new developments
  • Streamline the solar permitting process and implement Solarize Summit County, a bulk-buy solar photovoltaic program for local property owners in Summit County

Climate Projections by The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization

Summit County will see many more extremely hot summer days by mid-century, with even larger increases later, unless global heat-trapping emissions are sharply reduced, according to a new analysis by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization in 2021.

As examples, in the Frisco/Dillon Reservoir area, reflecting temperatures in and around Frisco, Breckenridge, and the other communities around Dillon Reservoir, the median projections with continuing high emissions are the hottest days of the year:

  • In typical mid-century years, would average 85°.
  • In the extreme year in mid-century, would be 88°.
  • In typical late-century years, would average 90°.
  • In the extreme year in late century, would get as hot as 94°.

For comparison, the hottest day of the year in 1970–1999 averaged 79°, and the single hottest day in the period was 82°. So an average summer day in mid-century could be three degrees hotter than the single hottest day of the late 20th century.

Divestment from Fossil Fuels

In December 2020, in accordance with Summit County’s recently-adopted Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy for investment, the Treasurer’s Office has completed the sale of its last holdings of fossil fuel stocks from the County’s managed portfolio of investments.

The ESG policy in part directs Summit County’s investment strategies away from fossil fuels. The resolution joins the County with a group of municipal governments, retirement and investment funds, universities, philanthropic foundations, and religious organizations who have committed to divesting from fossil fuels. These sectors have largely underperformed the market in recent years.

100% Renewable Electricity Commitment

In February 2018, Summit County joined the Town of Breckenridge in adopting a resolution committing to 100% renewable electricity by 2035.

In 2018, seventeen County facilities were subscribed to 100% clean solar power through Xcel Energy’s Renewable Connect Program. The Renewable Connect subscriptions, together with existing rooftop solar PV systems, have helped to make a total of eighteen County facilities now 100% solar powered, including the County Commons, Justice Center, Frisco Transit Center, North Branch Library, Breckenridge Facilities Shop and many Public Works buildings. Overall, a substantial percentage of the electricity used by Summit County facilities is generated from renewable sources.

Compact of Colorado Communities

In May 2017, Summit County signed onto the Compact of Colorado Communities, along with the Town of Breckenridge, Town of Frisco, Eagle County and Pitkin County. By signing onto the compact, communities commit to establish a climate action plan or measurable emissions reduction goal within 24 months, announce the plan or goal publicly and provide updates on plan implementation.