Pocono Raceway in Pocono, Pennsylvania announced last week that it was ready to switch on its 3-megawatt solar array, which will generate more than 72 million kilowatt-hours of energy over the next two decades. It will offset the emissions of 3,100 metric tons of carbon each year - and provide enough electricity to power the raceway and 1,000 homes.
Pocono Raceway's solar project, enXco solar origination director Peter Solomon said, is "the largest renewable energy stadium project in the world by more than two times." EnXco is the renewable-energy developer responsible for the installation.
The use of solar energy at a NASCAR track marks a major shift for the race series, which began using unleaded fuel just two years ago. Companies large and small are making their operations more sustainable, though, as green behavior moves into the mainstream - and as reducing carbon output becomes more of an imperative in the coming years, it's likely that other sports venues will follow Pocono Raceway's lead.
