The Atlanta Hawks have teamed up with Georgia Power to purchase enough "clean energy" to power Philips Arena for the 2012-13 NBA season. The team and arena have purchased 751,544 kilowatt-hours of green energy from Georgia Power, enough to cover the power needs for the arena for all 41 home games of the 2012-2013 basketball season and reduce the overhead costs of the arena.
The amount of energy purchased would power roughly 75 Atlanta homes for an entire year.
Philips Arena was also the country's first LEED-certified sports facility, meaning that its construction and design were built to higher environmental standards to ensure reduced carbon emissions. With the twin commitment to energy efficiency and cleaner energy sources, the Hawks can at least lead the league in one thing - efforts to carry the banner of sustainable energy efficiency.
Green energy is power that is derived from renewable or replaceable sources, as opposed to traditional fossil fuels or non-replaceable sources.
"The Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena are committed to protecting the livelihood of the environment through innovative methods, and Georgia Power is helping us meet our goals through their Green Energy Program," said Bob Williams, president of Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena. "Together, we continue to reduce our carbon footprint today and for the future."
Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation's largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility with rates below the national average. Georgia Power serves 2.4 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties.
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