Caesars Entertainment and DSD Renewables have completed a 8.4 MW portfolio of solar projects that span three Caesars properties located in Atlantic City, N.J. Caesars Entertainment will be able to achieve its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050 with the help of these projects.
The portfolio includes two solar canopies (1.7 MW and 886 kW) at Caesars Atlantic City, two canopies (1.93 MW and 1.94 MW) and a 913 kW rooftop system at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, and a 1.01 MW canopy at the Tropicana Atlantic City. The installations are expected be completed by late 2022. They will generate 10,425,453 Kilowatts of clean, renewable energy each year for the host sites.
“We’re thrilled to help a major player in the hospitality and casino entertainment industry reduce its environmental footprint and move one step closer to its ambitious sustainability goals,” says Dan O’Brien, vice president of commercial origination at DSD. “Our expertise in engineering and installing customized canopies, along with our in-house project financing capabilities, made us a perfect fit for these challenging and complex projects, and we look forward to working with Caesars on more projects in the future that will bring value to their business and the communities in which it operates.”
The existing structural layout, building heights, wind speed, exposure, and risk category of the sites required additional complexity that required highly customized engineering expertise and construction. DSD’s in-house canopy team designed tailored structural connections that will be used to secure the solar arrays, allowing for all steel and electrical systems to be elevated and protected from future storms.
“We are committed to the communities we call home by exploring and implementing plans to reduce our environmental footprint,” states Eric Dominguez, SVP of engineering and asset management at Caesars Entertainment. “The heart of our CodeGreen environmental strategy is our ability to continuously improve our business and environmental performance and leveraging our expanding partnership with DSD enables us to do just that.”
DSD and Caesars Entertainment partnered closely to ensure positive outcomes for Atlantic City’s surrounding community.
“We are excited to break ground on our new solar panel portfolio today at Tropicana, Caesars and Harrah’s Resort – a critical step in our CodeGreen strategy in Atlantic City region,” explains John Koster, regional president for Caesars Entertainment’s Eastern Division. “Our Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City resorts are committed to being leaders in environmental sustainability, as we work toward reducing our environmental footprint and aim to create more clean energy in the market.”
DSD will not only finance and develop the installations, but also act as the long-term operator and owner of the systems. DSD and Caesars Entertainment have begun exploring solar projects at other Caesars destinations in California, Illinois, Maryland, and Nevada.