The area is facing an unexpected $825,000 electricity rate hike.
Thursday, October 13, 2022, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
In one of the first public ski area disclosures of soaring energy prices, the New Hampshire Commissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Sarah Stewart has announced that state owned and operated Cannon Mountain is facing an unexpected $825,000 increase in electricity costs for the current fiscal year.
According to a filing with the state, Cannon's electricity rates have tripled in 2022. Such unexpected increases are difficult for ski areas to absorb when a large portion of revenue is already locked in from early season pass sales. Cannon consumes an average of 6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per season.
To cover the shortfall, Cannon is requesting permission to increase retail ticket prices from $99 to $109 per day, including a new RFID fee. According to the request sent to the Fiscal Committee of the General Court, Cannon is hoping to generate $700,000 in RFID card sales (to be set at $5). In addition to the revenue, Cannon is hoping to leverage "data collection regarding our visitation, use tracking and market experimentation" from RFID technology.
In addition to shortfalls from the ski area, Franconia Notch State Park is also facing a deficit from its hiker shuttle service. As part of the proposal, Cannon/Franconia Notch State Park are proposing to charge $10 per vehicle for hiker parking.
Cannon is also requesting a transfer of funds for an immediate replacement of grips on the Peabody Express Quad, as an inspection uncovered "excess wear on approximately 60% of the haul rope grips."
The proposed actions go before the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee tomorrow.
