Super Bowl XLVI May Kick-Off NFL's Greenest Year Yet

The Super Bowl may be dripping with corporate sponsors, but at least the NFL has made an effort to manage this eye-popping sports extravaganza in a sustainable manner.

Contrary to what the TV coverage might lead you to believe, the stadium isn’t the only building involved in the Super Bowl. And this year, the emissions all six of the major Super Bowl facilities – including Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indiana Convention Center, site of the NFL Experience Football Theme Park, and all four of the major NFL hotels including the NFL headquarters, the Super Bowl Media Center, and the AFC and NFC teams’ hotels– will be completely offset through renewable energy.

The NFL has selected Green Mountain Energy Company, to provide renewable energy certificates (RECs) to offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with the electricity used at the major NFL venues. That means everything from the computers in the Motorola Super Bowl XLVI Media Center to the lights that shine down on the teams as they compete during Super Bowl will be powered by wind energy. Green Mountain is already well-known for helping the Empire State Building switch to 100 percent renewable energy.

According to a company statement, the RECs used to green Super Bowl XLVI are being generated at wind farms located in North Dakota. Renewable energy certificates provide an additional revenue stream that can help build future renewable energy facilities. Overall, the RECs will replace 15,000 kWh of energy and avoid more than 14,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions associated with Super Bowl electricity consumption over the course of the month-long period leading up to and immediately following Super Bowl XLVI.

Wondering what that much energy looks like? Check out the infographic below.

And providing the RECs is only the beginning of Green Mountain’s involvement in this year’s Super Bowl. The company is also donating a residential solar array to be incorporated into the Near East Side Legacy Project, an Indianapolis Host Committee effort to revitalize one of the city’s central neighborhoods.

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Image Credit: Thinkstock

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Vicky P.

11:08AM PST on Feb 12, 2012

thanks

send a green star

Ann S.

4:57PM PST on Feb 11, 2012

They are beginning to put the super in super bowl.

Joy D.

12:40PM PST on Feb 7, 2012

Now that is a smart and strategic marketing scheme; let's so how it plays out in real time. If all is true, we are in the green; if not, it is in fact, another marketing scheme.

Penny C.

1:14AM PST on Feb 7, 2012

Thank you.

Chad A.

7:53PM PST on Feb 6, 2012

Every step takes us closer and getting the Super Bowl on the path is a pretty good step.

Brian M.

12:08PM PST on Feb 6, 2012

More needs to be done if future generations are to survive at all.

KS G.

4:03AM PST on Feb 6, 2012

Thanks for the article.