PRESS RELEASE: Washington Redskins and NRG Energy Bring Solar Power to FedExField

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LANDOVER, MD and PRINCETON, NJ; July 13, 2011 — The Washington Redskins and NRG Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the United States, will bring renewable energy to FedExField as part of the first professional sports sponsorship to carry the NRG name. New solar power installations integrated into the stadium and in the parking lot will be unveiled in September. The solar power system at FedExField will provide a portion of the stadium’s electricity needs on game days and can generate enough power to serve all of its electrical needs on non-game days.

As part of the nine-year agreement, NRG will install three different types of solar panels that together will generate two megawatts (MW) of electricity. NRG will cover 850 spaces in the Platinum A1 Parking Lot with 8,000 solar panels. These panels will generate power for the stadium and provide covered parking to protect fans from inclement weather and enhance their tailgating experience on game days. An NRG-branded entry plaza at Gate A will inform fans about renewable energy and showcase clean energy technologies. The installation will include translucent solar panels, sculptures featuring thin film solar technology and 10 electric vehicle charging stations from NRG’s eVgosm charging network.

“Our partnership with NRG will add to the fans’ game day experience at FedExField and offers a unique example of how solar energy installations can do more than generate power,” said Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins. “NRG’s expertise and vision are a great match for us and we are excited to be part of this effort that will reduce our environmental impact and offer our fans another unique experience.”

“It will take 8,000 solar panels and a lot of expertise to deliver this win to the Redskins – we’re getting it done,” said David Crane, NRG’s President and CEO. “The Redskins understand the importance of increasing our national energy security by making full use of our own inexhaustible natural energy resource. NRG is helping to make that change at FedExField and across the country.”

“There is nothing like homegrown, in this case stadium-grown, energy,” said Fred Smith, chairman, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Corporation and part owner of the Washington Redskins. “Solar can be a very smart investment. I am pleased to see FedExField moving in this direction and increasing its own energy independence.”

“We were very excited when the Redskins came to us for process support for the solar panel project at FedExField,” Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III added. “It is the type of green initiative that we are encouraging all businesses in the county to undertake.”

NRG is involved in some of the most ambitious clean energy projects in the country, including utility-scale solar generation in California; eVgosm, the nation’s first privately funded electric vehicle charging network; and smaller-scale efforts that bring the benefits of renewable energy directly to consumers.

NRG’s subsidiary Reliant Energy will be the official provider for all the electricity to power the Redskins in their home stadium. Reliant is one of the largest retail electricity providers in the competitive Texas market, and is expanding both its commercial and residential businesses to several states in the Northeast, including Maryland.

About NRG

NRG Energy, Inc. is a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 Index company that owns and operates one of the country’s largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. Headquartered in Princeton, N.J., the Company’s power plants provide 25,000 megawatts of generation capacity—enough to supply approximately 20 million homes. NRG’s retail businesses serve nearly 1.9 million residential, business, commercial and industrial customers. With major investments in solar and wind power, as well as electric vehicle infrastructure, NRG is working to help America transition to a clean energy economy. More information is available at www.nrgenergy.com.

About Reliant

Reliant Energy provides electricity and energy services to more than 1.5 million retail customers — including homes, businesses, industry, government entities and institutions across Texas. The company also offers service to commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, and is expanding its residential business to those states. For more information, visit www.reliant.com.

Awesome!

Great- Until the DC winter sets in.

Hail.

Great work by the team. I guess this is the other major announcement we've all been speculating about for months. It was nice to dream about other stadium enhancements. Short of those coming to fruition, an enhancement like this is great to hear about. Kudos "Team Snyder!"

BFD. Luckily, Platinum parkers probably don't tailgate. Translucent or not, tailgating in a garage would suck.

Don't mean to hijack the thread but I had no idea the CEO of FedEx was a part owner of the Skins. Anybody have an idea on what percentage, and if there are any others? I don't know why but I just assumed that Snyder owned 100%.

Don't mean to hijack the thread but I had no idea the CEO of FedEx was a part owner of the Skins. Anybody have an idea on what percentage, and if there are any others? I don't know why but I just assumed that Snyder owned 100%.

You can have up to 32 owners of a single team. The majority owner has to own a minimum of 33% of the team. So there is no telling how many owners of the Redskins there are.

HAIL!

Don't mean to hijack the thread but I had no idea the CEO of FedEx was a part owner of the Skins. Anybody have an idea on what percentage, and if there are any others? I don't know why but I just assumed that Snyder owned 100%.

I recall that Snyder barely has a majority interest, but hopefully someone else has the numbers.

Great work by the team. I guess this is the other major announcement we've all been speculating about for months. It was nice to dream about other stadium enhancements. Short of those coming to fruition, an enhancement like this is great to hear about. Kudos "Team Snyder!"

It better not be, I want a half roof. lol. I would be major league let down if this was the announcement.

HAIL!

I wonder how those things operate when you are grilling underneath of them?

So instead of pissing away money on washed up free agents, Dan has found a different way to waste his money. Can you say "Green Energy Fee" added to tickets/parking passes. Or maybe he'll offset the cost by raising beer prices to $30/bottle and adding $1 toilet use fees. Two megawatts is no doubt what the ideal/maximum output of the system could provide, given a perfectly sunny day and between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. depending on the season. I'd venture to say he will get NO ROI. Whatever, it's his money, but this screams pure PR move to me.

/skeptical rant off.

I believe snyder sold 2 10 percent interests in the team for 100 million dollars each around 2001 or so. The fedex ceo bought one of those ten percent blocks.

Here's a rendering:

http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=283560&vid=5&download=1

So instead of pissing away money on washed up free agents, Dan has found a different way to waste his money. Can you say "Green Energy Fee" added to tickets/parking passes. Or maybe he'll offset the cost by raising beer prices to $30/bottle and adding $1 toilet use fees. Two megawatts is no doubt what the ideal/maximum output of the system could provide, given a perfectly sunny day and between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. depending on the season. I'd venture to say he will get NO ROI. Whatever, it's his money, but this screams pure PR move to me.

/skeptical rant off.

DS is smarter than that. Can you say "tax credit" and "corporate sponsorship"? the company is basically setting up a sales booth at the stadium!

I'm sure that tax credits and corporate sponsorship are part of the deal, but the only win for DS on this deal would be if NRG paid for, owned, and operated the system, which may very well be the actual arrangement. And what happens when the Philly fans come and trash the panels!

Instead of investing in something like this why cant we get a covered OR heated field at Redskins Park so we can practice like a professional organization?? I know practicing in an airplane hangar and high school gyms is all the rage but c'mon...

I'm sure that tax credits and corporate sponsorship are part of the deal, but the only win for DS on this deal would be if NRG paid for, owned, and operated the system, which may very well be the actual arrangement. And what happens when the Philly fans come and trash the panels!

the team would sue, argue the Eagles were co-conspirators, and the settlement would include 2 first round picks.

I'm sure that tax credits and corporate sponsorship are part of the deal, but the only win for DS on this deal would be if NRG paid for, owned, and operated the system, which may very well be the actual arrangement. And what happens when the Philly fans come and trash the panels!

They will have features that recognize opposing team colors and will reverse the energy and burn any of those people like ants under a magnifying glass.

Predictably, there are a bunch of people complaining about something that is innovative, eco-friendly, and has no negative impact on the fans. I'm curious what non-football initiative the Redskins could pursue that wouldn't lead to criticism? Snyder donates to charity and people complain that he's only doing it for tax purposes. Snyder coordinates bringing renewable solar energy to the stadium and people complain too. Sad.

Nice idea by the organization!

Predictably, there are a bunch of people complaining about something that is innovative, eco-friendly, and has no negative impact on the fans. I'm curious what non-football initiative the Redskins could pursue that wouldn't lead to criticism? Snyder donates to charity and people complain that he's only doing it for tax purposes. Snyder coordinates bringing renewable solar energy to the stadium and people complain too. Sad.

Nice idea by the organization!

Agreed. More people are willing to give guys like Vick a second chance than Dan Snyder. Does anyone seriously wish fewer businesses were using renewable energy?

Our Zoo in Cincinnati unveiled 6400 solar panels covering their parking lot this year and it is great. It provide shade for the cars while you are visiting the zoo and helps control the energy costs of the zoo. I am excited to see the Redskins embrace this technology and hope the "Platinum" customers enjoy the shade in September.

Our Zoo in Cincinnati unveiled 6400 solar panels covering their parking lot this year and it is great. It provide shade for the cars while you are visiting the zoo and helps control the energy costs of the zoo. I am excited to see the Redskins embrace this technology and hope the "Platinum" customers enjoy the shade in September.

What do you bet that if Zorn were still here he'd call them Z-shades and have staffers holding them up?

Our Zoo in Cincinnati unveiled 6400 solar panels covering their parking lot this year and it is great.

From: "DDP: 8 Sections" thread:

Also, since megawatts of power are being generated right above our heads, I wonder if cell phone coverage won't be impinged upon.

Do you know how the panels at the zoo affected cell phone service?

From: "DDP: 8 Sections" thread:

Do you know how the panels at the zoo affected cell phone service?

Honestly, during the games, my cell is the least important thing on my mind. There's something about wondering if my cell phone is working while my favorite team is playing in a stadium I drive 200 miles to/fro to watch! I don't know, maybe it's me bro!

This to me is a good for him moment. It won't affect anything for the average fan or impact the football play in any way. So it's a big blah move for me.