If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, you are aware of the huge scale of all the hotels and casinos in Las Vegas. All those building use a lot of electricity for heating, air conditioning, lighting, entertainment and yes, gambling.
Since 1939, Hoover Dam’s turbines have provided the majority of the electricity to power The Strip. As the Las Vegas Valley’s population grew to support the gambling and entertainment industry, the reliance on the water backed up behind the dam in Lake Mead for household water, irrigation and electrical generation has increased.
Recently, however, drought conditions, possibly related to the Climate Crisis, has significantly impacted the water levels in Lake Mead. It’s currently at 35% of it’s water level capacity, levels hardly anyone alive has seen, with the drought conditions expected to continue at least for several months.
Without large amounts of electrical power, there is no Las Vegas and some companies are investing to hedge their bets against the Climate Crisis.
MGM Resorts, which owns several hotel/casinos and other entertainment properties in Las Vegas, announced it is planning to add to it’s existing solar portfolio by installing a 100 megawatt solar project that should offset about 90% of their properties daytime electrical load.
This isn’t MGM’s first solar investment. In 2015, the company installed an 8.3 megawatt solar project on top of it’s convention center.
Additionally, MGM announced it plans to reduce it’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and that it will source 100% of its electricity via renewables in the US by 2030.
Vegas was built on playing the odds. When you see large scale operations like the MGM corporation going solar to ensure their long-term viability, you know solar is a solid bet.
Give us a call at 206-706-1931 when you’re ready to stack the odds in your favor with solar or fill out our contact form below and we’ll get you in touch with one of our solar consultants to discuss your solar project goals.
