MGM Resorts Increases Renewable Energy with New Solar Agreement
MGM Resorts aims to get closer to procuring 100% renewable energy in North America by the end of 2030. The industry leader has taken further steps by signing a power purchase agreement with Escape Solar. The deal is for 25 years and will more than double the company’s solar electricity. Solar+ Storage is a new project in Lincoln County, NV, which will start operating in early 2026. It’s expected to procure renewable electricity equivalent to the annual power usage of over 28,000 average US homes.
MGM Resorts Initiates the Solar+ Storage Project to Boost Sustainability
As of September 2024, MGM Resorts uses solar power for 90% of the total daytime needs at 11 of its locations on the Las Vegas Strip. The innovative 25-yar compact will extend this to 100%, covering all properties’ daytime needs. Operated by Estuary Power, the Solar+ Storage project will be based in Lincoln County, Nevada, and will combine a 115-megawatt solar facility with a 100 MW/400 MWh battery storage system.
Bill Hornbuckle, CEO and President at MGM Resorts, stated: “This agreement is the next step toward the achievement of our climate goals”. He reports MGM is dedicated to meeting science-based targets and using 100% renewable energy by 2030. The company will have completed reducing carbon emissions by 45% by 2025. Many locations, including the MGM Springfield in Massachusetts and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, already have solar panels installed.
Jill Daniel, CEO of Estuary Power, added: “MGM Resorts’ purchase of renewable energy from Escape will reduce carbon emissions by nearly 250,000 metric tons annually. In addition, Escape will generate substantial economic benefits for Lincoln County, Nevada, as the first utility-scale solar project in the county and will create over 250 well-paying construction jobs.”
MGM is Committed to Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Design
The hospitality and entertainment company is also a member of the Better Buildings Challenge, a group of over 360 building owners, operators, and stakeholders dedicated to cutting energy consumption by at least 20%. MGM’s properties feature sustainable design, with more than 20 million square feet earning LEED certification from 2009 to 2019.
Additionally, MGM has invested over $68 million in energy-efficient projects and has cut its energy consumption by 23.9% since 2007. The largest continuous rooftop solar arrays in America, in fact, sits atop the convention center at Mandalay Bay.