SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. (June 26, 2025) — Burke Mountain Resort’s new ownership has partnered with the Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) at Vermont Law and Graduate School to reduce its high energy costs and explore sustainable solutions.
“The partnership with Burke will support the clean energy transition within Vermont while economically benefiting local municipalities,” said Raluca Velcu, a student at the IEE.
After nearly a decade of operating in receivership, Burke Mountain Resort is ready for a dynamic revival that will reinvigorate the local economy and renew the cherished local mountain’s role as a major regional employer and tourist destination.
Through this collaboration, the IEE will deliver policy and legal services focused on cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy integration.
“We are excited to partner with the energy experts at the IEE to make this as sustainable and cost efficient an operation as possible,” said Jon Schaefer of Bear Den Partners, the resort’s new owner. “We look forward to continuing the great local tradition of Burke Mountain Resort after years of uncertainty.”
This endeavor aligns with the IEE’s mission to promote the public interest through interdisciplinary, sustainable and community-centered solutions. By applying legal and technical expertise, the IEE aims to support the revitalization of Burke Mountain Resort while creating a replicable model for clean energy adoption in the ski and resort industry.
“This is a perfect opportunity for students to research a complicated energy issue and produce a case study for other state ski resorts to use to reduce costs while becoming more sustainable,” IEE Professor Kirt Mayland said.
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Vermont Law and Graduate School, a private, independent institution, is home to a law school that offers ABA-accredited residential and online hybrid JD programs and a graduate school that offers master’s degrees and certificates in multiple disciplines, including programs offered by the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment, the Center for Justice Reform and other graduate-level programs emphasizing the intersection of environmental justice, social justice and public policy. Both the law and graduate schools strongly feature experiential clinical and field work learning. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, Facebook and Instagram.