Green Biz PC

Park City, Utah

Megan

Community Clean Energy Program: What businesses need to know

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What is the Community Clean Energy Program?

The Community Clean Energy Program (CCEP) gives participating Rocky Mountain Power customers the opportunity to choose affordable, clean electricity, supporting healthier families, communities, and the environment.

CCEP is available to all residential, commercial, and industrial Rocky Mountain Power customers in participating communities, including unincorporated Summit County, Oakley, Francis, and Park City. Participating customers will collectively help bring new utility-scale clean energy onto Rocky Mountain Power’s grid. The program aims to develop enough new clean energy to eventually match the annual electricity use of participating customers—achieving a net-100% clean energy goal over time.

If your business is a Rocky Mountain Power customer in one of these communities, it will soon be automatically enrolled in the program, with the option to opt out. The information below focuses specifically on what CCEP means for local businesses.

Program start up and enrollment noticing estimated timeline:

infographic for the timeline

CCEP is anticipated to start in January 2027. Ahead of program launch, your business will receive two notices from Rocky Mountain Power about automatic enrollment.

The two notices are expected in November and December 2026 and will be separate from your monthly bill. The first will arrive by mail; the second will be sent by mail or email, depending on your billing communication preferences.

If you wish to opt out, you have six months from the start of the noticing period to do so with no termination fee. The initial free opt-out period will run through May 1, 2027.

Starting May 2, 2027, your business can still leave the program, but a termination fee will apply. The fee depends on your business’s Rocky Mountain Power “rate schedule.” For many small businesses on Schedule 23, the fee is $30. For businesses with higher energy use, the fee is based on the amount of electricity used.

You can find more information about termination fees on the Rocky Mountain Power website here.

Businesses that remain enrolled in CCEP will start being charged the program rate in January 2027 (current estimated start date). This will show up as a new line item on your Rocky Mountain Power bill, labeled Schedule 100.

What’s the cost?

The cost to participate will depend on how much electricity your business uses. Participating businesses will see the new Schedule 100 line item on their monthly bill at $0.00609 per kWh, plus a $0.12 low-income surcharge.

You can estimate monthly participation cost by looking at a past Rocky Mountain Power bill, multiplying the kWh by $0.00609 then adding $0.12. 

Why participate?

For participating businesses, CCEP offers an opportunity to help shape Utah’s clean energy future—and demonstrate that commitment to employees, customers, and the broader community.

Given that the program could eventually add up to half a gigawatt of new clean energy to our grid, which is enough to generate the amount of electricity it takes to power ~148,000 homes per year, your business will directly support the development of large scale clean energy projects.

Additionally, your business participation will support more choice in energy sources, cleaner air, green jobs and progress on local climate goals. More clean energy also means a lower carbon footprint for the energy grid and less water used to generate energy.

Participating businesses can display their commitment and support of the program with CCEP stickers, yard signs, and window clings by contacting the Green Business Team.

If you’d like more information on residential participation in CCEP, visit here.

For questions, please reach out to the Green Business Team. 

Supporting Families, Strengthening Businesses: Lunch & Learn Highlights

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On May 13, 2026, local employees, business leaders, and parents gathered at the Park City Library to learn about workplace policies and practical strategies that can strengthen employee retention and workplace culture.

Key themes discussed during the event included:

Family-Friendly Workplace Practices That Benefit Businesses

Becca Gerber, Senior Director of Community & Government Affairs at the Park City Chamber, shared how family-friendly workplace policies and new childcare tax incentives can help businesses better support working parents.

The conversation highlighted why these issues matter both locally and statewide: 74% of Utah families report needing two working parents to pay their bills, while childcare in Summit County costs an average of $1,800 per child each month.

Resources for businesses to improve family-friendly workplaces include:

Building Workplace Culture That Supports Employees and Improves Retention

Sara Sargent, CEO and Master Distiller at Alpine Distilling, shared how she intentionally built workplace practices, policies, and systems that support staff both inside and outside of work. Flexible scheduling, proactive time-off planning, wellness benefits, and team-building experiences were highlighted as ways that have helped strengthen company culture and improve retention.

Sara encouraged businesses to start by taking employees to lunch or planning a team activity to spark conversations about the types of support that staff value most and identify opportunities to create more flexible, people-centered workplaces.

Supporting New Mothers Returning to the Workplace

Paige Mitchell, a Health Educator with the Summit County Health Department, shared resources and practical guidance to help businesses better support nursing mothers returning to work. In Utah, 59% of mothers with children under age 6 are part of the labor force, underscoring how important workplace support systems are for families across the state.

Paige reviewed both federal and Utah workplace lactation accommodation requirements and shared sample workplace lactation policies from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that businesses can adapt for their own organizations. She also highlighted a self-assessment tool for businesses  to evaluate workplace policies, communication practices, break flexibility, and existing lactation spaces.

Speaking from personal experience, Paige also shared how meaningful workplace support can be during the transition back to work after having a child. Some best practices discussed included providing private and comfortable lactation spaces, accessible electrical outlets for pumping equipment, and dedicated refrigeration for safe breast milk storage.

Takeaways for Businesses

  • Supporting working families is not just good for employees — it is good for business, strengthening retention, workplace culture, employee satisfaction, and long-term organizational success.
  • Businesses of all sizes can take meaningful steps to support working families through flexible workplace policies, accommodations, and available state and federal tax incentives.
  • Listening directly to employees about the types of support they value most is one of the simplest and most effective ways to begin building a more inclusive, supportive, and resilient workplace culture.

These workplace support systems can have meaningful impacts on employees and families, while some actions — such as becoming a Best Place for Working Parents —  also contribute  toward your Green Business Certification.

To learn more and access event resources, view the Lunch & Learn slide deck here.

Stay tuned for our August Lunch & Learn topic and speakers!

Why Sustainability Content Falls Flat — And What to Do About It 

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Image: Words that Work, Radley Yeldar

Morgan Mingle, Director of Sustainable Tourism for the Park City Chamber

I’ll be honest: I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit writing sustainability content that was technically accurate and almost completely unengaging. Getting the facts right always felt like the priority, whether it actually connected with the reader was an afterthought. It took some outside perspective for me to realize that accuracy and engagement are not mutually exclusive, and that most of what makes sustainability content miss is fixable. 

I’m still very much learning in this space, but here are some of the tips that have helped me think differently:

Write for your reader, not yourself. A lot of sustainability messaging is written from the organization’s perspective, packed with “we” language about what we’ve accomplished and what we hope to achieve. But it turns out it’s not actually about me, or what my organization achieved… it’s about the reader and what it means for them. Before writing a word, it’s worth asking: what does my audience actually care about, and what would make them act? That question has a way of rewriting your entire draft.

Polarizing language is a liability. Some sustainability terms have quietly become political friction points that lose readers before they even get to the point. Phrases like “save the planet” and “climate crisis” resonate with already alarmed audiences but can push others away. Language rooted in shared values like health, safety, conservation, and community tends to travel further. And wherever possible, swap mandate-and-ban framing for opportunity-and-solution framing. “Upgrade” lands better than “phase out.” “Set standards” lands better than “restrict.” Smart word choices make a real difference in reception. 

Keep it local and specific. Global statistics are easy to write and hard to feel. “Food waste accounts for 8-10% of global human-caused greenhouse gas emissions” is accurate and completely forgettable. “We’ve kept two dump trucks’ worth of food out of Summit County’s landfill” is something a reader can actually picture. Working in Park City, I’ve found that the closer you can get to something a reader recognizes, a street, a trail, a business they drove past this morning, the more your message registers. Specific is almost always more powerful than sweeping. 

Root out jargon, and words that have stopped meaning anything. If your copy includes phrases like “decarbonization roadmap” or “circular economy principles,” try reading it out loud to someone outside your field. If they glaze over, you have your answer. But technical jargon isn’t the only culprit, overused words are just as big a problem. What does “green” actually mean in your sentence? In what specific way is something “sustainable?” These words get used so loosely that they’ve lost their edges. Replacing them with something concrete almost always makes the writing sharper and more trustworthy. 

Find the human story. Readers don’t bond with announcements; they bond with people. Who is affected by this work? Who is doing it? What did it take? Take trail stewardship as an example. You could publish a list of reasons why cutting switchbacks damages the trail system, or you could follow a trail manager through a morning spent hauling rock and rerouting drainage to repair an eroded hillside. The message is the same, but one makes you connect with the consequences of an action. 

If you want to work through these ideas hands-on, Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau and Right On are hosting a mid-day workshop on June 10, “Beyond Buzzwords: Writing Sustainability Content People Care About,” at Hotel Thaynes in Park City. Grab a ticket here. 

Bring More Bikes to Your Business: Request a Free Rack Today!

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Did you know that as a Summit County or Park City business, you can get a FREE bike rack installed through the Request a Rack program?

Bike racks at local businesses help reduce traffic by providing a convenient place for bicyclists to park at their destination and by reducing concerns about security or theft. Park City and Summit County also offer amazing cycling infrastructure to take advantage of, and these racks can further encourage active commuting and reduced vehicle use, supporting a healthier community. Be part of the solution by requesting a rack today!

Here is what you need to know about the Request a Rack program:

  • Each rack is an inverted-u, and powder-coated black
  • Two bikes fit securely on each rack
  • Number of racks provided for each business is space-dependent, but typically less than five
  • Park City provides for and installs racks for businesses within 84060, and Summit County installs and provides for all other businesses
  • Businesses can receive up to 10 points towards their Green Business certification for installing bike racks

All Park City businesses (84060) can use the link here to get started.

For all other businesses in Summit County, fill out the form here.

Have questions or want to learn more? Reach out to the Green Business Team.

2025 Green Business Highlights

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The Summit County | Park City Green Business Program is excited to recognize the businesses that earned certification in 2025 following a two-year redevelopment and expansion of the program and a recent strategic planning process. After the soft launch of the program’s website earlier this year, businesses were invited to engage in the new platform and updated certification process. Since January, 13 businesses have been certified in the program.

The businesses that have pursued this new certification have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and desire to be a leader in our community by taking meaningful action across key areas including energy, water, materials and waste, transportation, and community and equity.

The program would like to recognize the following list of Green Businesses for their continued efforts and leadership:

Silver: Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter, fulFILLed, Savoury Kitchen, Park City Library

Bronze: Done to Your Taste Catering and Events, Le Depot Brasserie, Park City Community Foundation, POW Therapy, Alpine Apothecary, Residences at the Utah Olympic Park, Summit County Health Department, Chesley Electric, Basin Recreation 

To earn certification, businesses are required to choose from over 200 actions to implement. Each action includes instructions and resources to help businesses improve the sustainability of their operations. Actions are scored for level of difficulty and impact, and businesses earn their certification level based on the total number of points earned.

In addition to the new website, the Green Business Program continues to host quarterly Lunch and Learns as a way to support business-to-business learning and engagement. Learn more and register for our next Lunch and Learn on the topic of sustainable transportation here. 

To stay up to date on certified businesses, visit the Green Business Program directory.

To get your business certified, start by creating a profile here.

Stay tuned for more exciting program updates in 2026!

Park City’s Ride On Winter Rewards Are Back!

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Winter in Park City brings fresh snow, crisp air, and… friendly competition! The Ride On Winter Rewards Program is returning, and Green Businesses are in a perfect position to lead the charge toward cleaner air and lighter traffic.

From December through March, Green Businesses can earn points towards their certification through employee participation in Ride On, swapping solo car trips for sustainable travel – walk, bike, bus, scoot, carpool, vanpool, or use Park & Ride.

Employees can log their trips on the Ride On platform to earns points. With every point moving participants closer to cash prizes and a healthier community. Whether your employees are commuting to work, heading to ski, running errands, or meeting a friend for lunch, each one-way journey counts.

Participants can climb the leaderboard to compete for end-of-program cash prizes up to $450 or simply log trips on three separate days each month to be entered into a drawing for Mountainkind e-gift cards.

Share these simple steps with your employees to participate:

  1. Create an account at parkcity.rideamigos.com.
  2. Join the “Ride On Park City” network—and your employer network if available.
  3. Log up to four sustainable trips per day.

Examples of eligible trips include walking to the grocery store, biking to lunch, taking microtransit to the slopes, carpooling with coworkers, or using Park & Ride to hop on the bus. And if plans change unexpectedly, the Guaranteed Ride Home program has your back.

For businesses to earn points, reach out to the Green Team for more information.

This winter, let’s show the region what sustainable commuting looks like!