The 2011-2012 football season is up in the air.
The NFL lockout is still in effect, as players battle team owners, struggling to reach agreements.
One of the most controversial issues is currently the rookie wage scale. They can’t seem to agree on a pay scale for rookies entering their fifth season with a team after spending their first four years with that team.
While offers and counteroffers are still being thrown around, both sides do hope to reach an agreement by July 21, the start of league meetings.
If this can be accomplished, the preseason may only exclude the August 7 Hall of Fame game.
If not, around $200 million will be lost for every loss of a preseason game, according to GCOBB.com.
But while the players and owners are at a stalemate, some NFL teams are waiting out the lockout by making renewable energy plans for their stadiums.
Most recently, the Washington Redskins have announced a nine-year agreement between FedEx Field and NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG).
According to this agreement, NRG will install around 8,000 solar panels over the stadium’s Platinum A1 Parking Lot, enough panels to produce 2 megawatts of solar power.
These 2 MW will only provide a portion of the energy required on game days, but they will be sufficient to power the entire complex on days without games.
Covering 850 parking spots and set for a September unveiling, these solar panels will also provide coverage for the lot during poor weather conditions, allowing for a better tailgating experience on such days.
Fred Smith, CEO of FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) and part owner of the Redskins, believes this is a smart investment for the stadium and the team.
Also included in this agreement, NRG will build a plaza in front of the stadium’s Gate A that will provide information about solar and other renewable energy sources.
The plaza will also include 10 electric vehicle charging stations from NRG’s eVgosm effort, the first privately owned network of charging stations.
The Redskins aren’t the only team looking to renewables for their games. The Philadelphia Eagles have announced a plan to receive energy from a combination of on-site wind turbines, solar, and biofuel, producing up to 8.6MW of renewable energy.
And the Seattle Seahawks have also planned to cut down their energy costs by 21% with a large investment in solar panels.
Hopefully we will soon see the lockout come to a close so these renewable efforts can be experienced fully.
The NFL is looking to make their turf a little greener.
Keep an eye on NRG as they team up to make this happen.
That’s all for now,
Brianna
