Olympic Valley, CA – Squaw Valley has announced the installation of four new electric car chargers at the resort. Use of the car chargers is free for guests, and the charging stations are now open daily and ready for use. Squaw Valley is the first ski resort  in California to install charging stations for electric cars.

“We are committed to making Squaw an environmental pacesetter for the Lake Tahoe region,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. “We know the region’s success is dependent on our dedication to protecting the special mountain environment and these new charging stations are a part of our extensive efforts that we’re taking on as part of our environmental stewardship efforts.”

In technical terms, Squaw Valley has installed two new CS-40 pedestal chargers from Clipper Creek, offering four 30-amp, 240-volt, J1772 charging stations. J1772 charging stations are a SAE standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles, meaning the chargers will be compatible with most electric cars on the market today.

“We’re proud to provide this service to our guests who currently own electric vehicles, and we hope that this might even compel a few more people to look into electric powered vehicles,” continued Wirth.

The new charging stations are located at the western edge of the Far East Building at Squaw Valley, next to the Cornice Cantina. Guests can spend the time needed to charge their vehicles while skiing and snowboarding, taking scenic tram rides, participating in family activities, and shopping and dining in The Village.

The charging stations will be open to guests seven days a week – however, guests are asked not to leave their cars at the charging stations for more than 10 hours at a time.

The new electric car charging stations are part of Squaw Valley’s ongoing environmental and sustainability initiatives. In 2013 alone, Squaw Valley’s sustainability program has included hosting the first ever carbon neutral U.S. Alpine Championships, the reduction of the resort infrastructure’s carbon footprint by 10 percent, and the launch of a new farm-to-table menu option at the resort’s Rocker@Squaw restaurant.

Squaw Valley has also been instrumental in launching the new region-wide Green Bucks program – a new dollar donation program designed to harness the passion of visitors and residents in order to help care for the region’s extraordinary environment. Proceeds from Green Bucks support the Tahoe Fund, the Truckee River Watershed Council and other public and nonprofit organizations in the region. With the money raised, these organizations will fund projects to improve, enhance and restore watersheds, hiking and biking trails, and environmental stewardship programs.