LAS VEGAS, May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MGM Resorts
International (NYSE: MGM) has announced that it is joining the U.S.
Energy Department's Better Buildings Challenge, a national pledge
calling for organizations to voluntarily reduce their building
portfolio energy use by 20 percent in ten years.
"Innovating our resorts to operate more efficiently while also
offering a remarkable guest experience, is a top priority for our
company." said Cindy Ortega, Chief
Sustainability Officer of MGM Resorts International. "Joining the
Better Buildings Challenge is another step in our promise to
guests, employees and our surrounding communities to employ
sustainable best practices at all of our resort destinations."
Launched in 2011 by President Obama, the Better Buildings
Challenge supports the President's broader goal of doubling
American energy productivity by 2030 while motivating corporate and
public sector partners across the country to save energy through
commitments and investments. In the past year, the initiative has
recorded more than 190 participating organizations, including:
local governments, school districts, universities, and commercial
real estate, healthcare and manufacturing
companies.
MGM Resort is the first company in the entertainment, gaming and
hospitality industry to join the Better Buildings
Challenge.
"By committing to cut energy use by 20 percent, Better Buildings
Challenge partners are demonstrating how businesses and
organizations are reducing our nation's energy bill, creating
American jobs, and protecting the environment," said Dr.
David Danielson, Assistant Secretary
for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department
of Energy. "With commitments representing more than 3 billion
square feet of floor space, these partners are leading the way to a
cleaner energy economy."
At the National Summit, the Energy Department announced that
Better Buildings Challenge partners successfully reduced the energy
use of their buildings and industrial facilities by more than 2.5
percent in 2013. These energy savings are the equivalent of about
$100 million a year.
Participation in the Better Buildings Challenge communicates MGM
Resorts many energy conservation commitments and aligns its efforts
with other leading companies to support the President's
mission.
Earlier this year, the company initiated a program to install
1,600 induction technology lighting fixtures covering 160 acres of
open lot parking area at its resorts in Las Vegas. These lamps are ideal for the hot
Las Vegas climate and will have an
operating life of up to 20 years. An estimated 2.7 million
kWh will be saved annually following the project's completion.
Additionally, MGM Resorts recently announced the expanded
Convention Center at Mandalay Bay that will include a rooftop solar
photovoltaic (PV) array making it the largest convention center
array in the world. The anticipated size of the array is
approximately 1.9MWdc with an approximate annual production of 3.4M
kilowatt hours. The previously announced 6.2MWdc solar PV array on
the current Convention Center is slated for completion in August;
the combined array will generate enough electricity to power the
equivalent of 1,300 homes.
To learn more about MGM Resorts International's environmental
sustainability programs, please visit: www.mgmresorts.com/csr.
For a detailed progress report on the Better Buildings Challenge
and to find more about the Challenge participants, please visit:
www.energy.gov/betterbuildingschallenge.
About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's
leading global hospitality companies, operating destination resort
brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage.
The Company also owns 51% of MGM China Holdings Limited, which owns
the MGM Macau resort and casino and is in the process of developing
a gaming resort in Cotai, and 50% of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA resort and
casino. For more information about MGM Resorts International,
visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.
SOURCE MGM Resorts International