The Sustainability Division shapes, implements, and supports goals and initiatives to demonstrate what a sustainable community means for Summit County.
The Summit County Council has consistently named “environmental stewardship” as a strategic objective supporting the County’s mission in supporting the health, safety, and welfare of the community. This means that sustainability requires a collaborative approach across all of Summit County government, as well as with our businesses, nonprofits, community members, and regional partners.
The Summit County Sustainability team is part of the Summit County Health Department. Our team works to identify, align, support, and implement initiatives and policies that ensure the County is making progress towards County Council climate change action and environmental stewardship goals.
Our team is available to assist the Summit County community in navigating sustainability challenges and opportunities to make impactful change. Check out our FAQ below for information on topics including electric vehicle charging, renewable energy, and more. Please reach out to our team anytime with any questions and ideas you may have!
In 2010 the County created its first full time Sustainability Coordinator position and completed its first installation of solar panels on a County facility at the USU Extension Building in Coalville.
The County’s first greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals were adopted through their first Sustainability Plan.
Recycling was made more accessible with the addition of curbside recycling in the County’s solid waste services program.
The County’s first Climate Action Plan was adopted, setting more ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
The County Council reaffirmed and strengthened its climate change action and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals with the adoption of Resolutions 2017-16 and 2019-29. These goals continue to shape much of the County’s sustainability work today.
The foundation for the Sustainability Division’s work is set by the County Council’s commitments and direction to take action on climate change and to be leaders for environmental stewardship. The Sustainability Division shapes its efforts in alignment with the Health Department’s vision with a focus on awareness, education, and preparedness. Specific Council commitments include the following.
“The County will demonstrate leadership and set direction for plans, policies, partnerships, and initiatives to secure, protect, and conserve our water, land, and air quality for the present and future, as well as implement an internal organizational culture that supports environmental stewardship. This public health issue involves the County’s health department, sustainability division, landfill, county lands and natural resources, public works department, and community development department and requires a collaborative, all-of government effort.”
A common question we get is: “do public health departments often have a division focused on sustainability”? The answer is: “not often but we are part of a growing trend because our efforts towards a more sustainable future have positive impacts on our health!”
Public health and sustainability are interconnected in many ways. Both fields recognize that the health of the natural environment and of the built communities and spaces we live and work in are essential to determining the health of a community and the individuals living there. Additionally, many of the core strategies involved in taking climate change action have benefits that go hand-in-hand with public health.Some examples include: promoting the use of energy and transportation sources that do not emit harmful air pollution, or better yet, community design that makes walking, biking, rolling, and taking transit to work and school accessible. With climate change posing a major threat to public health, we are proud to combine sustainability and public health in Summit County.
Here’s a quick summary of ongoing changes:
There are three main types of chargers:
– Level 1: most often used at a home
– Level 2: common among public chargers and for fleets not requiring a fast charge. Summit County charging locations mostly offer Level 2 chargers.
– Fast Chargers: Many charging networks and charging corridors utilize fast chargers. Check out these two links to learn more:
https://forthmobility.org/showcase/charging-options
https://www.chargedfuture.com/different-types-of-electric-car-plugs/
Another distinction in types of chargers is those that are networked or “smart” and those that are non-networked. Networking involves a hardwire, wireless, or cellular connection that enables more sophisticated data collection and usage tracking, as well as the collection of fees for use. Summit County has a combination of networked and non-networked chargers.
Fundamental to why some chargers deliver a charge faster than others is understanding the difference between power, measured in kilowatts (kW) and energy, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Power (kW) is the amount of electricity being delivered by a charger at any given moment while energy (kWh) is the amount of power delivered over a period of time. Higher power means a faster charge. Check with your vehicle dealership and/or manufacturer to learn the pros and cons of utilizing fast vs. slow charging on the health of your vehicle’s battery.
Learn more about charging time online such as from Car and Driver https://www.caranddriver.com/shopping-advice/a32600212/ev-charging-time/ and from Blink Charging https://blinkcharging.com/drivers/electric-vehicle-time-charging-calculator/ .
If you have access to charging where you live, your best and most affordable option will typically be to charge your vehicle at home. For those driving around the community, there are dozens of EV chargers throughout Summit County. Use tools like PlugShare https://www.plugshare.com/ , ChargeHub https://chargehub.com/en/ , and EV Hype https://evhype.com/ to locate and view information about chargers in the area including 24 chargers at Summit County facilities and 44 chargers at Park City Municipal facilities.
Since 2016, the Summit County Council has been focused on approving the funding and the installation and operating costs of County-owned chargers using a combination of County budget funds and grants from utility and State partners.
Summit County began charging users a fee to charge at the County-owned fast charging stations in 2022. To comply with Utah HB 301 passed in 2023, the County also collects a 12.5% sales tax at any charging stations with a fee. This sales tax must be collected and remitted to the state annually. Level 2 stations remain free of charge. Fees at other chargers throughout the community are set by the owners of those stations.
Operating fast charging stations costs much more than other slower stations. This is partly because the electricity costs are substantially higher to supply that much power in a short period of time. The County charges a fee for fast chargers to help make back a portion of the costs to operate these chargers. We estimate that for an electric vehicle like a Chevy Bolt, it will cost about $36 to get a full charge. This is compared to a tank of gas which can cost between $38 – $62 (depending on gas prices) to go the equivalent distance for a full battery charge.
While every vehicle and charger are slightly different, the basic steps remain the same.
If you continue to have issues with the Summit County owned charging stations after following the steps above, contact Emily Quinton and Mike Crystal (equinton@summitcounty.org, mcrystal@summitcounty.org). For general inquiries or other questions, contact Emily Quinton.
Mountainland Association of Governments helps folks in Summit, Wasatch, and Utah Counties who need help paying their utility bills https://mountainland.org/home/ . Check out the Home Energy Assistance Target (HEAT) Program https://mountainland.org/heat/ for assistance paying your bills, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) https://mountainland.org/weatherization/ for assistance on making your home use less energy, and the Single Family Home Repair Program https://mountainland.org/housing-rehab/ for assistance making repairs that could help lead to lower energy bills.
There are several options available to help you conserve energy and water at home from DIY solutions to full-home retrofits. Check out our page on incentives, rebates, and tax credits for more information. Learn about your home’s energy use and simple ways to save energy and costs by checking out a Summit County Energy and Water Savings Toolkit at any of our library branches.
There are multiple pathways to using more renewable energy!
Solar is a great option for those that want to produce at least some of the electricity they use at home or at work! We recommend starting with the following resources:
9 Simple Steps to Rooftop Solar https://hub.utahcleanenergy.org/solar-power/for-homes/ – Utah Clean Energy
EnergySage for business https://www.energysage.com/businesses/ – Dept. of Energy
Connecting Solar to the Grid and Export Credit Rates https://hub.utahcleanenergy.org/solar-power/connect-to-the-grid/ – Utah Clean Energy
Customer Generation https://www.rockymountainpower.net/savings-energy-choices/customer-generation.html – Rocky Mountain Power
Water
There is a lot of buzz around saving water and so many ways to save water both inside your home and outside through your landscaping practices. Visit Summit County’s page on landscaping incentives for more information. A great place to start on your water conservation journey is to find out who your water provider is and contact them to see how they can support you in conserving water.
Focus your efforts on water usage inside the home if you can’t control landscaping decisions. Conservation strategies like taking shorter showers and turning the water off while brushing your teeth and washing hands are everyday practices anyone can adopt! You can also look at options for swapping out fixtures like shower heads and faucet aerators for more water efficient options. Check out this resource https://extension.usu.edu/drought/in-the-home from USU Extension for more ideas.
Thanks for your interest in Summit County’s sustainability goals, programs, and opportunities. Everyone that lives, works, plays, and makes their business in Summit County is part of a collective responsibility to build a sustainable future for our community. Whether you are looking to save energy at home, influence local and state policy, or volunteer, there are lots of ways to get involved!
You may be wondering if getting involved in sustainability makes sense for you. There are many reasons to get involved in sustainability, for example, energy upgrades can help you save money on utility bills and make your home more comfortable all while reducing your home’s carbon emissions which contribute to climate change. Changing your purchasing habits to create less waste means sending less materials to the landfill. And changing how you commute and get around the community can improve your physical and mental health. Click through the sections below to find an opportunity that resonates with you!
There are several low-cost projects that you can get started on this weekend! Check out these resources for ideas on DIY projects.
If your property uses natural gas, request a home energy assessment from Dominion Energy. A home energy auditor will come to your place and evaluate which upgrades are best, and which incentives are available from Dominion Energy’s home efficiency program called “Thermwise”. Sign up here.
You can also request a home energy assessment and get instant rebates from Rocky Mountain Power’s energy efficiency program called “Wattsmart”. Sign up here.
Do you own a commercial property? Rocky Mountain Power’s “Find and Fix Program” is for you! Call 1-888-805-7231 to start. In addition, here is a list of rebates available from Dominion Energy.
Both Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy partner with local contractors to get rebates and incentives in the hands of homeowners and renters. Consider using Rocky Mountain Power’s Trade Ally and Dominion Energy’s Authorized Contractor lists to find contractors, and make sure to ask any professionals you work with to help you apply for incentives and rebates.
Upgrade to a heat pump for heating and cooling your home. Heat pumps are a highly efficient technology for both heating and air conditioning. You can get both one-time rebates for installing a heat pump and may be eligible to receive tax credits as well. In case you were wondering…they DO work very well in cold climates. (Read more here.)
Not ready to fully replace your current home heating and/or cooling systems? Consider a mini split heat pump which could become the primary heating and cooling appliance for your home while keeping your existing system as backup.
Another big upgrade you might consider is getting new energy efficient windows. You may be eligible for a tax credit for installing new windows, as well as incentives from Dominion Energy and from Rocky Mountain Power.
Improve your insulation
You can receive rebates from both Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy for adding insulation. You can also claim a tax credit for adding insulation on your federal tax return. Income qualified homeowners and renters should check out the Weatherization Assistance Program for potential low and no-cost insulation upgrades. The Weatherization Assistance Program can also cover other upgrades, such as new windows and doors.
Incentives to swap your turf for more water wise landscaping are available now:
There are lots of other great resources to help you conserve water inside your home and outside in your landscaping. Slow the Flow is a great resource for all you can do to save water in Utah. Learn more about Localscapes and planting for Utah’s unique climate.
Conservation practices are essential to maintaining water supply. A drying climate will impact crop yields, animal populations, and access to safe drinking water which can threaten water quality. Our community’s resilience against a dry climate is directly influenced by our water supply which is crucial to the health and safety of all community members.
Recursos en Español aprender sobre ahorrar y economizar energía y agua en su casa a continuación.
If you continue to have issues with the Summit County owned charging stations after following the steps above, contact Emily Quinton and Mike Crystal (equinton@summitcounty.org, mcrystal@summitcounty.org). For general inquiries or other questions, contact Emily Quinton.
Between federal, state, and local utility programs, you can access a variety of financial incentives for energy efficiency upgrades, adding insulation, installing solar, purchasing electric vehicles, and more!
The products and food we buy require energy, water, land, and other resources to extract, produce, and be transported to your home or business. Then, we are often left with unused or extra materials and packaging that quickly becomes waste. Rethinking this whole process presents an opportunity to greatly reduce the amount of waste produced in our homes and businesses, ultimately extending the life of the Summit County landfill.
In Summit County, there are many actions you can take to send less waste to our landfill:
Have waste but don’t know where to bring it? Don’t just dump it! Search the Utah Recycling & Waste Facility Map to identify where waste and recycling is accepted.
How we move around the community impacts our health and the health of the environment. When fossil fuels are combusted, they produce harmful pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, benzene, and carbon dioxide. All of these pollutants can impact our long term health. There are many ways to move around the Summit County community that allows you to drive less, and when you do need to drive, drive electric.
Check out High Valley Transit and Park City Transit to travel by bus or microtransit.
Summit County continues to build out new infrastructure to make walking and biking throughout the community safer. The Summit Bike Share is available in summer months.
Interested in purchasing an electric vehicle (EV)? Learn about tax credits for new and used electric vehicles. Find out the basics of driving an EV and get your questions answered at the Drive Change Drive Electric website.
Whether you drive an EV now or are thinking about it for the future, it’s important to consider where you will charge. The majority of charging happens at home with many chargers available throughout the community. See our FAQs page for more information about EV charging. You can get help installing chargers at your home or business via several programs:
Installing a level 2 charger at your home? Rocky Mountain Power has an incentive for residential charger installations.
The Green Business Program supports and recognizes businesses integrating sustainability practices into their daily operations. When a business expresses interest in the program, they are matched with support staff from the Green Business Program team for support in setting goals, accessing rebates and resources, and connecting with other businesses. Businesses who complete the Program scorecard are certified at the bronze, silver, or gold level. Learn more about and sign up for the Green Business Program online.
Sustainability means different things to different people and is constantly evolving. Add your voice to shaping a sustainable future for Summit County. Participation in Summit County Council and Board of Health meetings is always encouraged and welcomed. Consider participating in the Community Planning Lab to learn about key topics like planning and zoning, affordable housing, transportation planning, and more – all topics that relate to sustainability!
The Summit County community is home to dozens of nonprofit organizations and volunteer groups where your passions related to sustainability can take root. Visit the Park City Community Foundation’s website to browse through and learn about local nonprofits. You’ll find many nonprofits working directly on energy, water, waste, land conversation, and environmental education, as well as many groups working on equally important related topics such as housing and health.
One of Summit County’s core values is “preservation: preserve our land, water, air, and culture”. Water underpins the health of our environment, economy, and people. Unlike many municipalities in Utah, Summit County is not the water provider for households within our boundaries, however, there are County special service districts like Mountain Regional Water and Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District that provide drinking water and wastewater treatment to portions of the County. Sustainable use and treatment of water are core to the operations of these service districts.
Summit County government’s role in protecting water quality and promoting water conservation takes the form of policy, education, health and development code, and stakeholder engagement with everyone from individual property owners to the State. To learn how climate change may impact water in Summit County, visit the 2022 Climate Change Risk Assessment. Increasing pressure on water systems from drought and development are concerns throughout Utah, which is why efforts to update the Summit County General Plans will include a focus on water.
There are programs and initiatives happening throughout Summit County that touch every part of the water cycle. Several County departments, special service districts, local municipalities, and nonprofits are doing exciting work to promote water quality and conservation.
The Drinking Water Safety Program offered by the Environmental Health division offers services such as education, testing, and monitoring to ensure all households and businesses can access clean and healthy drinking water. Local water providers, such as Park City Municipal, are utilizing state-of-the-art technology to deliver clean drinking water to customers.
Summit County is actively developing a new Water Use & Preservation Element to each of the County’s General Plans. Water is also an important part of both development code and health code. For example, chapter 5 of the health code is entirely focused on water quality, source protection, stormwater discharge, and concurrency, which promotes the delivery of safe and reliable drinking water.
Waterwise, drought-tolerant, and native landscaping is promoted through a variety of programs, including section 10-4-20 of the Snyderville Basin Development Code, the Trout Friendly Lawns Program offered through Summit County USU Extension, and various incentives offered statewide and at the local level. Visit our Get Involved page for ways you can conserve water at your home and business. At County facilities, our facilities staff prioritize low-flow water fixtures and select drought-tolerant landscaping where possible.
The Summit County Lands & Natural Resources department has spearheaded the Weber River Watershed Resilience Partnership Project to support land management practices aimed at protecting this vital watershed. USU Extension with several community partners have installed hundreds of beaver dam analogs to promote stream restoration. Much of this watershed protection work is championed by Summit County property owners and ranchers who are deeply connected to the land.
Stormwater, or precipitation that runs off streets, lawns, and construction sites, is untreated and directly enters our waterways. The Summit County Stormwater division works diligently to protect waterways by promoting practices that reduce stormwater runoff and pollutants entering stormwater. This work includes both regulatory and permitting aspects as well as community education, such as through the annual Trails, Trash & Tunes event.
What happens after we flush the toilet and wash dishes is just as important for our health as the quality of water we drink. Treating wastewater properly is critical from the residential scale to the community scale. The Environmental Health team’s septic program ensures the safe design and permitting of septic systems. Care is taken to understand the impact of wastewater even after it has been treated, such as research into endocrine disruption compounds in East Canyon Creek by the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District.
Efforts to support the availability of clean drinking water and promote water conservation are active throughout Summit County and the entire State of Utah. The following are examples of outcomes from these efforts:
How we move throughout the community impacts quality of life, health, air quality, and the day-to-day experience of living, working, and playing in Summit County. Creating more opportunities for shorter and efficient trips and commutes is a guiding principle for Summit County’s transportation planning, public transit, and vehicle electrification work.
A variety of departments within Summit County government and other organizations in the community do critical work that shapes how people move throughout the community.
Since launching in 2021, High Valley Transit (HVT) has quickly expanded to providing no-cost bus and micro-transit service in Summit and Wasatch Counties. Together with Park City Transit (PC Transit), there are over a dozen bus routes serving the Park City, Snyderville Basin, Kamas, and Heber City communities. Both transit systems are also replacing older diesel burning buses with all electric models and are working to implement Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes in the community. Get the PC Transit and HVT apps.
Summit County planners, engineers, Planning Commissioners, and Council Members consistently push for active transportation trail infrastructure and long-range plans that grow opportunities for people to walk and bike (including e-mobility) safely around the community. Specific programs include the neighborhood mixed-use zone, Utah Trail Network, and Request a Rack.
When vehicles are eligible for replacement, or a department needs to purchase a new vehicle, department heads are encouraged to consider electric plug-in or hybrid vehicles while taking into consideration the unique demands on each fleet vehicle, which may include accessing remote locations throughout the County.
Summit County owns and operates over 20 publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and encourages business owners and private development to install charging infrastructure for employees, patrons, and residents. The County has consistently invested in charging infrastructure following a 2019 strategic plan and engages with partners to support the roll out of Utah’s statewide Plan for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment. See our FAQ page for more information about EV chargers.
With a robust local economy comes a local workforce with thousands of commutes happening daily within and moving into or out of Summit County. Some local employers utilize programs such as the UTA vanpool program, offer remote work options, and coordinate employee use of park and rides and shuttles. Green businesses are encouraged in their efforts to support alternative employee commutes. The County recognizes that while an increasing number of electric vehicles on the road is good for local air quality, community design that enables less car commuting must guide our work.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with transportation have risen across Summit County and Park City. Visit the climate change action page for GHG data.
Despite this rise in emissions, there are many accomplishments to highlight related to transportation:
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