3.18.2008 11:06 AM

DNC Host Arena to Go Carbon Neutral

Denver's Pepsi Center to Offset Emissions, Install Solar Panels

Photo: David Zalubowski / AP Photo

By Brian Clark Howard

The $160 million home to the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Mammoth and Colorado Crush -- Pepsi Center -- is going green, in time for the much anticipated 2008 Democratic National Convention in August.

Gov. Bill Ritter, Nuggets coach George Karl and arena and Environmental Protection Agency officials have announced that Colorado's largest indoor sports and entertainment venue will be the first major U.S. sports arena to go effectively carbon neutral, reports Rocky Mountain News. Given growing alarm about global warming, the success of similar initiatives at Live Earth and other events and past efforts to green political conventions, the news isn't entirely surprising.

Plus, it's clear that the attention of the world will be intensely focused on Denver in August, so going green gives the host city and venue a nice positive talking point. The facility seats about 19,000 when configured for basketball.

So what is Pepsi Center actually going to do? The owners, Kroenke Sports Enterprises, have agreed to buy enough renewable energy certificates (from Georgia-based Sterling Planet) to offset all the center's electricity. That's the amount of power needed to run 1,155 average American homes for a year. The center has also announced a Play Clean Eco-friendly Entertainment initiative, which gives preferred parking to hybrid vehicles, supports single-stream recycling and will involve installation of 52 solar panels. The arena already sells used food grease for biodiesel and has installed some efficient fluorescent lights.

Another green advantage of Pepsi Center is that it is served by a light rail station. The venue shares a complex (including train station) with Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, and Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos.

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