Home Publisher's Point of View Massive Array a Symbol of MGM Resorts’ Commitment to Sustainability

Massive Array a Symbol of MGM Resorts’ Commitment to Sustainability

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“It provides a high sense of pride.” That is how Cindy Ortega, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of MGM Resorts International described the massive solar array atop the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. I spoke with Cindy this past week in regard to the 8.3 MW dc array that includes more than 26,000 photovoltaic panels. The array, certainly one of the largest rooftop arrays in the United States, was recently completed after three years in the making. The array represents one of the most significant, if not the most significant, investments in renewable energy connected to any hospitality-related company. I say “connected to” because MGM does not own or operate the installation. NRG Energy, Inc. owns and operates the array. Through a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Mandalay Bay Resort will purchase all the electricity generated by the panels.

“We are really proud of being able to underscore the importance of building solar,” Ortega told me, adding that she has had an opportunity to show Nevada Senator Harry Reid the array. “For him it is the mark of decades of work,” she says.   

At full production, the system supplies 25 percent of the power demand of the entire Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino campus. It is projected that the expanded solar installation will displace approximately 8,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, the equivalent of taking more than 1,700 automobiles off the road. The electricity produced is also equivalent to the average annual usage of 1,340 U.S. homes. Since completion of the first phase in 2014, the project has helped provide pricing stability for MGM Resorts, while reducing the amount of energy drawn from the southern Nevada grid during times of peak electricity demand.

A Real ‘Green Advantage’

The array is certainly a grand symbol of the company’s commitment to sustainability—a part of MGM’s sustainability platform called “Green Advantage.” “The array is an indication of an investment in green,” Ortega says. “[Most of] the other programs to be sustainable are invisible to guests.”

Ortega says that now that the array is fully operational and working as planned, more time will be spent integrating it into her company’s messaging and making customers, potential customers, guests and employees aware of it. “We can do a better job talking about the array in the building,” Ortega says. “We can do more in the conference areas.”

Ortega emphasized the importance of finding the right partners for a project of this scale. MGM considered other vendors before settling on NRG Energy.

In a press release about the array, Craig Cornelius, Senior Vice President of NRG Energy and head of NRG’s Renewables group, said, “The solar array atop Mandalay Bay is stunning in its scope and functionality, and we’re thrilled to have MGM as a partner.”

Now that the array is performing the way MGM thought it would, the company is exploring solar for some of its other properties. MGM is also retooling its sustainability team. Ortega says the company has just hired a new Senior Director of CSR—a former Office Depot executive.

Green Lodging News Welcomes Arbor Day Foundation as Survey Sponsor

Green Lodging News, welcomes the Arbor Day Foundation as a Green Lodging Survey sponsor at the Silver level. The Arbor Day Foundation is a million member tree planting nonprofit that focuses on solving global issues through the use of trees. Over its past 44 year history it has planted and distributed over 250 million trees. Specifically through its focus on fighting climate change, the Arbor Day Foundation plants trees to capture carbon and provide forestry carbon offsets to help organizations reach their sustainability goals. The Arbor Day Foundation works with hundreds of hotel and resort locations to provide guests the opportunity to offset each night of their stays. To learn how to get your guests involved or to identify your hotel’s carbon footprint, contact Jared Carlson at jcarlson@arborday.org or (402) 473-2102.

Green Lodging News Adds AspirEnergy to Directory

Green Lodging News welcomes AspirEnergy to its Green Product & Service Directory in the Energy Services category. AspirEnergy is a full service Energy Services Company that specializes in prescribing and implementing energy efficient and renewable energy solutions to lower operating costs and maximize return on investment. It focuses on return on investment for its clients with the maximization of government and utility incentives while keeping the customer experience at the forefront of its recommendations. AspirEnergy offers LED lighting and controls, energy management systems, solar PV systems, financing and incentive administration. Learn more about AspirEnergy at www.aspirenergy.com. Call (908) 561-2701 or e-mail rishi@aspirenergy.com.

Green Lodging Survey

The Green Lodging Survey, a joint effort of Green Lodging News and Greenview, is now ‘live’ and open through August 31. Be sure to complete the survey and have others do the same. The survey is geared toward those who own and operate lodging establishments anywhere in the world. Click here to access the survey.

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Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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