SPOT ON – Moab’s Radical Conversion

Outside Magazine (March 2007)p. 46, Article by Megan Gambino

It’s not like we needed another reason to love Moab. But we’ve got one: Utah’s red-rock mecca for adventure sports is perusing one of the most ambitious green-energy policies of any town in the West. The movement is led by mayor and 35-year resident Dave Sakrison, 61, who was elected in 2000 and three years later had government offices supplying half their kilowatt-hours with emissions free wind power. He then successfully challenged 15% of residents and 40% of businesses to do the same – a move that coincided with Moab’s recognition as the EPA’s first Green Power Community – and in 2005 finished construction on a geothermally heated and cooled city hall. This April, the Moab Chevron station will install Southern Utah’s first bio-diesel tanks. Meanwhile, mountain bikers coming to town for the storied 12-mile Slickrock trail can turn to Moab Cyclery, which powers it’s shop with an 8 kilowatt solar-electric system and runs 5 support vehicles on used veggie oil. [Bike rentals with shuttle, $50; Moabcyclery.com].