MGM Resorts Bets on 100MW Solar Array
Located 25 miles north of Las Vegas in the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone, the solar project will provide as much as 90 percent of daytime power to MGM Resorts' properties on the Strip.
By Anca Gagiuc
MGM Resorts International and renewable energy company Invenergy of Chicago, in a newly formed partnership, have planned to install a new solar photovoltaic array with a generating capacity of 100 megawatts. This solar system will be located 25 miles north of Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts has been seeking for a renewable energy solution in Nevada throughout the past year. Invenergy’s customized solution, which included an ideal location, won. “Invenergy is a leader in solving energy challenges for businesses like MGM that are backing up their commitment to sustainability by powering their operations with renewable energy,” Invenergy’s founder & CEO Michael Polsky, said in prepared remarks. “Solar energy offers cost-competitive power with zero carbon emissions, providing tremendous value and long-term certainty for customers looking to minimize their impact on the environment.”
Powering Las Vegas Strip
The MGM-Invenergy Solar Project is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2020 and all the energy it will generate will be acquired by MGM Resorts to help power its 13 properties on the Las Vegas Strip—the company claims the array will provide up to 90 percent of total daytime power needs of these venues. Among them are some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry, including Bellagio, Mirage, Aria and MGM Brand.
The solar system will consist of about 336,000 panels on 640 acres within the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone. Some 350 workers will be employed at the facility during the construction phase and once operational, the project will generate roughly $20 million of sales and property tax revenues, as well as indirect economic benefits to local businesses like hotels and restaurant. The solar array will produce sufficient electricity to power the equivalent of approximately 27,000 homes annually, while also reducing carbon emissions.
“Protecting the planet is a business imperative for MGM Resorts and it is our responsibility to find innovative ways where we can use clean energy to power our resorts,” said Jim Murren, chairman & CEO of MGM Resorts International. “As a company we care deeply about how we use our resources. This array will be a new source of clean energy that will help power our Las Vegas resorts.”
This solar project will further MGM Resorts’ commitment to renewable energy. In 2016, the hospitality brand completed the expansion of the nation’s largest contiguous rooftop solar array. The 8.3-megawatt solar system is made of 26,000 panels and is located on the roof of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
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