MGM Resorts Las Vegas Goes Solar
MGM Resorts International has flipped on the switch to a 100-megawatt solar array that will power 13 Strip properties and 36,000 hotel rooms.
The power-up plan provides a long stride toward the company’s energy sustainability goals.
The Mega Solar Array project was developed in partnership with Invenergy — a privately held developer and operator of sustainable energy projects — and structured through a 20-year power purchase agreement.
In early 2021, Invenergy sold a 75 percent interest in the MGM Resorts Mega Solar Array to AEP Renewables, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, one of the nation’s largest electric companies. Invenergy Services, a subsidiary of Invenergy, will provide operations and maintenance and balance-of-plant services under a long-term agreement.
The solar array is the largest maintained by a resort company and is expected to provide 90 percent of MGM’s daylight power needs.
With MGM Resorts’ significant scale and resources, they are positioned to make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change, and recognize their responsibility to build a more environmentally sustainable future for Las Vegas. “This is a significant step forward in the environmental sustainability initiatives in Las Vegas and a long-term vision to protect the planet and achieve an enduring, positive impact in communities worldwide.”
MGM’s Mega Solar Array is located on 640 acres in the desert north of Las Vegas. It has 323,000 solar panels and provides the equivalent of power used by 27,000 homes. Among the resorts that will benefit from the power grid are Bellagio, Aria, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and The Mirage.