Energy Efficiency, Commercial, Finance, Sourcing Renewables  -  February 3, 2017

NFL, NRG powering Super Bowl with clean energy

^{Photo of NRG Stadium provided by NRG.} 

Echoing the transition to cleaner power sources being made at businesses across the country, the NFL has teamed up with NRG Energy Inc. to power this year's Super Bowl and associated events with clean energy. 

NRG Energy and its retail electricity subsidiary Reliant are providing 100% Green-e certified renewable energy to NRG Stadium, the site of Super Bowl LI, and the George R. Brown Convention Center, location of the NFL Experience and other NFL celebrations in Houston for a period leading up to, during and following the game, according to a Feb. 3 news release. 

"Reducing the environmental impact of our events is something we have worked toward for more than 20 years," Jack Groh, director of the NFL environmental program said in a statement. "Using clean energy at our largest events, we can minimize the climate impact of our activities. This is something that's good for business, and good for our fans and the communities where we live."

According to the statement, for every megawatt hour of electricity used to power the weekend's events, NRG and Reliant will purchase and retire one Renewable Energy Certificate, or REC, on behalf of Super Bowl LI. The RECs account for the electricity used at NRG Stadium and the George R. Brown Convention Center, supporting renewable energy and the more than one hundred thousand fans visiting Houston to celebrate the Super Bowl.

Additionally, the stadium itself has conservation in mind: it features 65,000 energy efficient LED field lights, which use 60% less energy than its previous lighting system, NRG says. 

Green-e Energy, a Center for Resource Solutions program, is a third-party certification that guarantees RECs are generated from new renewable facilities and marketed with transparency and accuracy. 

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