Seattle City Light will be at Safeco Field on Friday evening to help the Mariners celebrate Earth Day with the team’s third annual carbon neutral game.
As part of their Earth-friendly efforts, the Mariners are supporting the development of new, renewable energy through City Light’s Green Up program. Contributions to this program help support the development of new, renewable energy sources.
The electricity the Mariners purchase from Seattle City Light already is carbon free and has no greenhouse gas impacts. City Light was the first net-zero electric utility in the country in 2005 and its power remains carbon free, primarily because we generate about 90 percent of our power from hydroelectric dams.
City Light staff will be at Safeco to share information about what fans can do to reduce their energy consumption, save money and make sustainable energy choices.
City Light congratulates the Mariners on the many steps they’ve taken to reduce their environmental impact.
In 2010, the team installed an energy-efficient electronic scoreboard. The new equipment is expected to reduce the Mariners’ energy consumption by more than 900,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. That’s enough to power 100 typical Seattle homes for a year. It also avoids about 540 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is the equivalent of taking 119 cars off the road.
This year, the M’s added more LED screens to the billboard runners around the circumference of the stadium.
The Mariners are founding members of the Green Sports Alliance, a coalition of Northwest pro sports teams and venues committed to sustainable practices to reduce their impact on the environment. Other founding teams are the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Storm and Seattle Sounders FC.
Seattle Mariners Green Facts
- From 2006-2009, the Mariners saved over $1 million in utilities costs (electricity, natural gas, water and sewer).
- Reduced natural gas use 60%
- Reduced electricity use 30%
- Reduced water use 15%
- Through a major capital investment programs and conservation measures, the Mariners are now saving an estimated $500,000 a year in utilities costs.
- These conservation efforts save the equivalent of 5.1 million pounds of CO2, and are equal to having planted 703 acres of trees and taken 344 cars off the road.
- Mariners were the first MLB team to stage a “carbon neutral” game on Earth Day 2008.
- Safeco Field has the lowest “energy intensity” of all MLB ballparks that participate in the EPA’s Energy Star program.