Published: July 13, 2011
Washington Redskins and NRG Energy Bring Solar Power to FedExField
LANDOVER, Md. & PRINCETON, N.J. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The Washington
Redskins and NRG
Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the United States,
will bring renewable energy to FedExField as part of the first
professional sports sponsorship to carry the NRG name. New solar power
installations integrated into the stadium and in the parking lot will be
unveiled in September. The solar power system at FedExField will provide
a portion of the stadium's electricity needs on game days and can
generate enough power to serve all of its electrical needs on non-game
days.
As part of the nine-year agreement, NRG will install three different
types of solar panels that together will generate two megawatts (MW) of
electricity. NRG will cover 850 spaces in the Platinum A1 Parking Lot
with 8,000 solar panels. These panels will generate power for the
stadium and provide covered parking to protect fans from inclement
weather and enhance their tailgating experience on game days. An
NRG-branded entry plaza at Gate A will inform fans about renewable
energy and showcase clean energy technologies. The installation will
include translucent solar panels, sculptures featuring thin film solar
technology and 10 electric vehicle charging stations from NRG's eVgosm
charging network.
"Our partnership with NRG will add to the fans' game day experience at
FedExField and offers a unique example of how solar energy installations
can do more than generate power," said Dan Snyder, owner of the
Washington Redskins. "NRG's expertise and vision are a great match for
us and we are excited to be part of this effort that will reduce our
environmental impact and offer our fans another unique experience."
"It will take 8,000 solar panels and a lot of expertise to deliver this
win to the Redskins - we're getting it done," said David Crane, NRG's
President and CEO. "The Redskins understand the importance of increasing
our national energy security by making full use of our own inexhaustible
natural energy resource. NRG is helping to make that change at
FedExField and across the country."
"There is nothing like homegrown, in this case stadium-grown, energy,"
said Fred Smith, chairman, president and chief executive officer of
FedEx Corporation and part owner of the Washington Redskins. "Solar can
be a very smart investment. I am pleased to see FedExField moving in
this direction and increasing its own energy independence."
"We were very excited when the Redskins came to us for process support
for the solar panel project at FedExField," Prince George's County
Executive Rushern L. Baker III added. "It is the type of green
initiative that we are encouraging all businesses in the county to
undertake."
NRG is involved in some of the most ambitious clean energy projects in
the country, including utility-scale solar generation in California; eVgosm,
the nation's first privately funded electric vehicle charging network;
and smaller-scale efforts that bring the benefits of renewable energy
directly to consumers.
NRG's subsidiary Reliant Energy will be the official provider for all
the electricity to power the Redskins in their home stadium. Reliant is
one of the largest retail electricity providers in the competitive Texas
market, and is expanding both its commercial and residential businesses
to several states in the Northeast, including Maryland.
About NRG
NRG Energy, Inc. is a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 Index company that owns
and operates one of the country's largest and most diverse power
generation portfolios. Headquartered in Princeton, N.J., the Company's
power plants provide 25,000 megawatts of generation capacity-enough to
supply approximately 20 million homes. NRG's retail businesses serve
nearly 1.9 million residential, business, commercial and industrial
customers. With major investments in solar and wind power, as well as
electric vehicle infrastructure, NRG is working to help America
transition to a clean energy economy. More information is available at www.nrgenergy.com.
About Reliant
Reliant Energy provides electricity and energy services to more than 1.5
million retail customers - including homes, businesses, industry,
government entities and institutions across Texas. The company also
offers service to commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional
customers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and the
District of Columbia, and is expanding its residential business to those
states. For more information, visit www.reliant.com.
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NRG Energy, Inc.
Pat Hammond, 713-537-2157
Lori Neuman,
609-524-4525
or
Washington Redskins
Tony Wyllie,
703-726-7135
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