Free Reuseable Bags at the “MoabFirst” Event on January 18th The “MoabFirst” event will take place on January 18, 2018, in front of the Moab Information Center on the corner of Main and Center Streets (weather permitting). The Moab Area Travel Council will be giving away the reusable bag to anyone in Moab supporting the Moab City Plastic Bag Ban. We will ask each person, before they receive the bag, what two things they will do to support sustainability in 2019. This is the beginning of the “MoabFirst” Sustainable Tourism Program from The Moab Area Travel Council to appreciate, protect, and preserve all that we have here in Grand County “MoabFirst” brings together the local community, business owners, land agencies, local Government Departments, and Grand County, Utah Stakeholders to develop the short-term and long-term Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Moab, Utah. Setting short and long term goals will allow the “MoabFirst” Sustainable Tourism Committee to plan, execute, and monitor the Criteria for the future of Moab, Grand County local community and its visitors. Sustainable Tourism is defined by the United National World Tourism Organization as “ Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”.

Moab has had a long history of environmental stewardship:
• Bike Friendly Community – number of lanes and programs
• U.S. EPA Green Power Partner – demonstrates a plan to adopt and implement a percentage of community-wide renewable energy
• Tree City Designation (22 years) – set expenditures and maintenance
2018 was a stellar sustainability year! Moab was selected by the U.S Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab to participate in a collaborative research effort to accelerate the adoption of renewables as part of the Solar Energy Innovation Network. The consultant expertise is worth close to $100,000.

Moab received a consultant grant from Rocky Mountain as part of being named the first wattSmart community. The award covered development of a Community Energy Plan that was worth $30,000. The Plan was developed with the input of over 20 community members over a period of three half-day workshops. It is available on the City’s website and sustainablemoab.com

Community members are eligible for FREE starter kits for their homes (i.e., LEDs, aerators) and several incredible rebates: air conditioners - $300; select gas furnaces - $100; insulation .10/sq. ft.; smart thermostats - $50 and many more.

The City received a RMP grant to install ten electric vehicle-charging stations and an addition grant from the state to pilot an electric mower rebate program this spring.

The most exciting new of 2018 was the signing of two resolutions a Clean Energy Cooperation Agreement and a Memorandum of Understandings with RMP to build two Blue Sky Solar Arrays – one very large production site will be located at the Golf Course and a second at the new Water Reclamation Plant. The amount of energy at the Golf Course is enough to power 100 homes. We can cool the community without warming the planet.

Residents and businesses can apply to use Blue Sky Clean energy through rockymountainpower.net for a slightly higher bill you can power your home by solar rather than the current mix of 60% coal. For the past 18 years, the community used approximately 1.2 % of renewables but in the last year and half the percentage rose to 6%. The majority of the rise was from businesses and organizations joining the Green to Gold Business Program to help strengthen the community.

The City offices have solar on nearly every building and subscribes to Blue Sky that accounts for over 70% of our energy coming from clean sources.

The City passed a C-PACE Resolution that allows businesses to receive no interest 20 year loans for retrofits or new construction built 5% above code. Together we can create a healthier more sustainable community and you can help. On January 18 from 2-4 at the Moab Information Center – stop by with two sustainability resolutions in exchange for a re-useable cloth bag. The resolutions will be posted on the City website. If you cannot make it to the MIC, a limited number of bags will be available at City Hall, the Multi-Cultural Center and the Food Bank the last week in January. Lastly, in February the City will be soliciting additional recommendations for our first Ten Year Sustainability Plan.

For more info: rockymountainpower.net/incentives (rebates), rockymountainpower.net/res/bsre C-PACE Lunch & Learn (January 9th) or sustainablemoab.com