Atlantic City Convention Center Receives Grant for Wind Turbine
SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 - The Atlantic City Convention Center received a $1.5 million grant from the State of New Jersey for construction of a single wind turbine to provide power to the facility. The funding comes from New Jersey's $73 million allocation of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the stimulus package.
The Atlantic City Convention Center is already a leader in alternative energy use and green initiatives. The building is topped with the largest single roof solar system in the country, which provides as much as 26 percent of the Convention Center's electricity. Operationally, the Convention Center staff also oversees a long-standing, aggressive recycling and conservation program.
The amount of power supplied by the wind turbine will depend on the turbine's size. The size and scope of the project will be scaled according to the total funding that is available. The estimated cost for the full project is $3.4 million.
"We are very excited to have received a major part of the funding for this project," said Jeff Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, which oversees the operation of the Atlantic City Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall. "We're looking forward to another step in helping to reduce our dependence on traditional energy sources, as well as reducing our operating costs."
Vasser noted that a project timeline can now be developed. "We still have many steps in the process, including environmental studies and permitting, before we can begin to construct the turbine, but this is an excellent first step." The total duration of the project is approximately 16 months.
For additional information on environmental initiatives at the Atlantic City Convention Center, visit http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/meeting_planners/green_initiative.aspx.
The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority serves as the destination's principal marketing arm, stimulating economic growth through convention, business and leisure tourism development. The Authority oversees the management of the Atlantic City Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall. The Authority is the first destination marketing organization in New Jersey to achieve prestigious Destination Marketing Accreditation by the Destination Marketing Association International. For complete Atlantic City information, visit www.atlanticcitynj.com. Also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AtlanticCityNJ.
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