Supplier News
US – Desert sun to power 20 per cent of Mandalay Bay
By Phil - 4 July 2013
MGM Resorts International is putting it all on green as it looks to produce nearly 20 per cent of the power demand at its Las Vegas resort; Mandalay Bay.
It is deploying NRG Energy to install one of the largest rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays in the world at the Mandalay Bay Resort Convention Center in Las Vegas. The 6.2-megawatt installation will be MGM Resorts’ first commercial solar project in the United States and will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 1,000 homes.
This in turn will also lower demand on the southern Nevada electricity grid at the hottest time of the day, decreasing the need to import energy from outside the local energy system thus reducing energy costs for the entire Las Vegas system.
Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, explained the ethos. “Integrating environmentally responsible practices throughout our operations has been a key pillar in MGM Resorts’ strategic sustainability plan,” he said. “Partnering with NRG Solar to install the solar rooftop at Mandalay Bay highlights a major milestone in our efforts to promote renewable energy and reduce our consumption of the planet’s limited resources.”
Tom Doyle, President and CEO of NRG Solar, the NRG subsidiary overseeing the install, added: “MGM’s desire to advance environmental stewardship in support of a cleaner future speaks to the quality of the organization. At the same time, it’s an intelligent business decision. The new 20,000 panel solar rooftop array at Mandalay Bay will effectively enable the resort to lock in a substantial component of its energy costs at a very competitive rate. Our expectation is that other corporations will follow thought-leaders like MGM Resorts to protect our planet.”
MGM Resorts chose the Mandalay Bay Resort Conference and Convention Center for its new solar array due to its large sun-oriented rooftop space, which spans roughly 20 acres. Once the project, custom designed and developed by NRG Solar, is completed, Mandalay Bay will buy the energy created by the array though a power purchase agreement (PPA).
MGM Resorts has made great strides in reducing its natural resource consumption through its Green Advantage sustainability initiatives. Over the past five years, the company has reduced its energy intensity by more than 12 per cent, and has also saved a total of more than 2.5bn gallons of water.
