Great article I found about how they are going to use Wind Energy to Power the Super Bowl. Great info to use in your debate
Salt River Project will light the Feb. 1 Super Bowl in metro Phoenix with electricity from wind power.
The municipal utility announced the energy sponsorship Tuesday, although the board of directors approved the deal in 2013 as part of a $1 million sponsorship of the Super Bowl Host Committee, a non-profit liaison between the league and the host region.
The power to the Super Bowl originally was estimated to cost about $200,000, but SRP spokeswoman Patty Garcia Likens said Tuesday the cost now is expected to be about $50,000 for the electricity, services to the stadium and renewable-energy credits.
SRP will provide $500,000 cash, $450,000 of in-kind services and $50,000 for electric energy, the related services and renewable energy credits for University of Phoenix game-day related period, a company representative said Tuesday. Originally, the utility was to provide $225,000 cash.
The sponsorship sparked a controversy two years ago over whether the non-profit utility should help support the game.
“We believe it is the right thing to do for a community member like SRP,” General Manager Mark Bonsall said at the time.
SRP officials said the true cost of the sponsorship was much less than $1 million because much
The influx of people visiting Arizona for the game is estimated to increase electricity sales for SRP that week by roughly $300,000, Bonsall said at the time the deal was approved, making the sponsorship almost a wash.
SRP, meanwhile, has been locked in a fierce debate over renewable energy. A proposal to charge higher rates to customers who install solar on their homes has drawn hundreds of people to public hearings in protest. The plan will be considered by the utility’s board in late February.
Managers at the utility contend that it is more cost-effective to build large solar power plants and allow customers to purchase a block of electricity from the facility.
Customers and rooftop-solar installers contend that such an arrangement does not give customers the same opportunity to cut their own electric bills by installing solar and generating much of their own electricity.
Ryan Randazzo, The Republic | azcentral.com
