The Solar Energy Industries Association has recognized MGM Resorts International for sustainability and clean energy in the latest Solar Means Business report.
MGM Resorts International Receives Recognition for Clean Energy Commitment
The future of the casino industry is greener, cleaner and sustainable. Or, so the latest Solar Means Business report compiled by the Solar Energy Industries Association suggests. This year’s edition of the survey has recognized MGM Resorts International as one of the bid players in energy sustainability efforts.
Solar Means Business tracks projects in over 50 states with a particular focus on states that are exploring solar energy as a viable solution for meeting their energy needs.
In the report SEIA CEO and President Abigail Ross Hopper praised businesses that have opted for solar energy to curb energy costs and make commitments to address climate crisis by turning to clean energy solutions.
MGM Resorts International has made the report for its work on the MGM Resorts Mega Solar Array, a 100-megawatt solar array in Las Vegas that is designed to satisfy up to 90% of the company’s properties energy needs during the day.
With a sizeable footprint of 13 MGM Resorts properties in the Las Vegas Strip, sprawling on some 70 million square feet, the company’s commitment is as green as it gets. So far, the coronavirus lockdown has not affected the completion schedule, and the array is due in 2021.
In retail numbers, the project is enough to power 27,000 homes for a year. The construction will consist of 300,000 panels and take 700 acres. MGM has confirmed that it will utilize all power generated from the panels and not let anything go to waste.
MGM Resorts Henry Shields, director of analytics, said that the company was proud of the recognition it had received by SEIA as a hallmark of MGM’s commitment to clean energy.
“Our multiple solar array projects embody not only the long legacy we have for our environmentally responsible practices but also the hopes we have for future generations to come.”
-MGM Resorts director of analytics Henry Shields
While the company has had to make some difficult decisions recently, MGM has remained committed to continually improving its experience for guests and employees.
A Commitment Beyond Energy Efficiency
MGM Resorts has had a re-think of its branding strategy and staying power. An advocate of innovation, the company has used the coronavirus lockdown as an opportunity for growth.
In September, MGM Resorts announced that it would prohibit tobacco smoke on its property, becoming the first Las Vegas casino to have done so in the gaming hub’s recent history. The measure rolled out on September 30 when the resort opened for business.
While other brands have baulked at the idea, fearing that it might turn away paying customers, MGM Resorts chief operating officer Anton Nikodemus argued that the decision had come as a direct result of guest requests.
“We’re making the facility completely non-smoking because of continued guest requests,” Nikodemus explained.
The move away from tobacco smoke in the hospitality and gaming sectors is doubly significant as it comes by the largest casino employer in the city, setting an example for others to follow suit.
Smoking is still allowed at other MGM properties, including New York-New York and Aria but it has been banned at MGM National Harbor in Maryland and MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.
This change is timely as the novel coronavirus has struck the country and forced shutdowns, layoffs, and wreaked economic havoc in general. While no definitive proof has been mustered to support the claim that smoking is a driving factor in the spreading of infections, innovators such as MGM Resorts are always ahead in the curve where the safety and health of their guests and employees are concerned.