Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Nevada’s two largest gambling companies (Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., and MGM Mirage) along with local leaders have come together in the hopes of making…
Las Vegas Launches it’s Plan for Green Investments and Green Jobs
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Nevada’s two largest gambling companies (Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., and MGM Mirage) along with local leaders have come together in the hopes of making not only Las Vegas, but the entire state of Nevada, a leading “green” place to live.
This week, Goodman — along with other local businesses, casinos, utility companies and law firms — organized a non-profit program promoting environmentally friendly training programs and green projects throughout the state. “Green Chips” will develop demonstration projects such as energy audits for low-income households, solar energy retrofit to help save power, and energy efficient construction in communities throughout the Las Vegas area.
Along with the casinos, the cities of Henderson and North Las Vegas, Clark County, the Nevada Water Authority, Nevada State Bank, the law firm of McDonald Carano Wilson LLP, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and NV Energy are all participating as members of Green Chips.
Mayor Goodman Goes Green
Quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal, Mayor Goodman says that “The goal is to have Green Chips serve as an umbrella organization that coordinates with other programs working on renewable energy, conservation and efficiency projects.”
As the non-profit’s chairman, Mayor Goodman is seeking grants and donations while giving away commemorative green chips to donors. The chips would be in $5, $25, and $500 increments respectively.
“We’re going to accomplish so many things,” Goodman said. “We’re going to get down and dirty, so to speak.”
With the start of this organization, not only has green quality living and conservation officially arrived in Vegas, but this will also serve as a launching pad for new green jobs to an economy desperate for an economic boost. Green Chips says that it also plans to provide low-interest loans to homeowners and businesses for overall energy-efficiency, carbon-reduction projects, and resource-preservation.
All Aboard Nevada
“We will encourage seemingly small things like changing the light bulbs, to very large things like saving thousands and thousands of dollars retrofitting laundry equipment,” says Marybel Batjer of Harrah’s Entertainment.
With their new energy-efficient washing machines, Harrah’s laundry facilities clean 250,000 pounds of bed sheets, pillow cases, towels and other cloth items per month. Before the new washers, they were using over 18 million gallons of water in comparison to seven million gallons today. With casinos being the city’s prime attraction, Harrah’s is setting a great example for its competitors, and big businesses to follow, while at the same time saving thousands of dollars for shareholders in the process.
According to an article written by realestatechannel.com, ninety percent of all the construction materials for Las Vegas’ new CityCenter work site are recyclable, which is the idea behind the Green Chips’ organization. Mayor Goodman says that Las Vegas has always been the “Entertainment Capital of the World”, but now he’s shooting for possibly a new title…. “Greenest City of the Future”.
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Other Reading & Resources
Green Chips Website
Green Chips in Vegas from the Las Vegas Review Journal
Vegas Goes Green from Las Vegas Now
Free & Low Cost Solar Energy
Pictures
Green Chip
Oscar Goldman
City of Las Vegas]]>
