Better Buildings Program Honors MGM Resorts for Sustainability Efforts

LAS VEGAS — The Better Buildings program, developed by the Department of Energy, recently recognized Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International, for the company’s sustainability efforts across multiple resorts.

MGM Resorts was acknowledged for the company’s excellence and leadership in the use of energy management and information systems to reduce energy costs and improve building performance, according to a statement from the Better Buildings program. In addition, MGM Resorts was recognized for using an education management information system across 50 million square feet of building space.

MGM Resorts has a unique building monitoring system that is able to keep track of everyday work processes, retrofits and cost savings. The company’s Aria resort in Las Vegas also features a central energy plant, which played a key role in the company receiving the prestigious honor from Better Buildings. The central energy plant uses recycled heat to provide hot water to several facilities and to heat pools at some of the MGM Resort hotels, according to a statement by MGM Resorts.

“[Receiving the recognition] validates what we’re doing, and it also compares us to other big participants in the program as well,” said Chris Magee, MGM Resorts’ vice president of sustainable facilities, Corporate Sustainability Division, in a company statement.

Other major participants that were honored by the Better Buildings program include Emory University in Atlanta; the city of Salt Lake City; Sprint in collaboration with CBRE; and the University of California, Davis.

MGM Resorts is also involved in the Better Buildings Challenge, which sets a goal of reducing energy consumption by 20 percent by 2020, according to Better Buildings. MGM Resorts has reached about half that goal, with 10 percent of its energy costs already cut, Magee said in a statement.