Caesars, Other Strip Properties Turning Lights Off for Earth Hour

Posted on: March 24, 2022, 07:56h. 

Last updated on: March 24, 2022, 10:33h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

No US city is more synonymous with lights than Las Vegas. But things will look different on the Strip on Saturday night, as some venues go dark from  8:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. in observance of the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour.

earth hour
The Las Vegas Strip. Caesars will turn off the lights at its Strip venues in observance of Earth Hour. (Image: Los Angeles Times)

Count Caesars Entertainment, one of the largest Strip operators, among the gaming companies participating in Earth Hour. The company said it will turn off all non-essential lighting at its Las Vegas venues during the aforementioned hour on Saturday night.

That includes the iconic Eiffel Tower at the Paris — an integrated resort named for the French capital, which, ironically, is often referred to as “The city of lights.”

Caesars says it’s participating in the event to boost awareness of climate change.

Every year, at 8:30 pm on the last Saturday of March, supporters in over 190 countries and territories unite, taking action on and raising awareness of the issues facing our one home,” according to Earth Hour’s sponsors.

Venetian Las Vegas and the Venetian Expo are also participating. But Wynn Resorts says Wynn and Encore will not go dark, reports Fox5 Las Vegas.

Caesars Green Efforts

Caesars is among the gaming companies looking to realize cost efficiencies by embracing renewable energy.

For example, the Harrah’s operator is looking to increase its use of solar power in Nevada, and is mulling solar-covered parking at its venues in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The company also has an extensive portfolio of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across its roster of properties.

“We also host one of the largest and most advanced Tesla Supercharger stations and energy centers in Nevada at the LINQ Promenade in Las Vegas, with photovoltaic canopies, battery storage, 15 level II charging stations, and 24 Tesla version 3 Superchargers,” notes Caesars. “Guest use of the Tesla charging station has exceeded expectation, supporting more than 80,000 charging sessions since the station was opened in 2019, resulting in estimated avoided emissions of over 3,000 metric tons of CO2 to date.”

Caesars isn’t alone among gaming companies in terms of sustainability efforts. Rival MGM Resorts is a major consumer of solar power, and Wynn has an in-house sustainability program known as Goldleaf. That includes the company’s sustainability initiatives, such as carbon reduction and boosting the use of renewable energy.

Earth Hour Barely Dents Las Vegas Power Consumption

While Earth Hour is a reminder about climate change, the event doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of Las Vegas power consumption, as casinos there account for 20 percent of the city’s annual power demands.

By some estimates, the Strip runs on 8,000 megawatts of power per day, and some integrated resorts there contend with six-figure monthly electric bills.

In terms of renewable energy, there’s work to be done in Nevada, as the US Energy Information Administration estimates less than 22% of the state’s generated electricity is derived from clean sources, such as solar and wind.