LEGOLAND® Florida and Tampa Electric kicked off a groundbreaking partnership by making the 150-acre theme park run completely on renewable energy to celebrate the Earth Day, making it the first theme park to do so in the United States.
The celebration is part of existing and new conservation initiatives, including installations that will educate park guests about solar energy. As part of the partnership, LEGOLAND Florida will also permanently power a section of the park, Imagination Zone, on renewable energy.
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“This is a historic day for LEGOLAND Florida,” said LEGOLAND Florida General Manager Adrian Jones. “With our new partnership with Tampa Electric, we will give guests a whole new way to learn about renewable energy while also doing something that no other theme park in the U.S. has done before.”
A celebratory moment was held just prior to park opening Tuesday, at approximately 9:45 a.m., with both Jones and Bruce Narzissenfeld, vice president of Marketing, Customer Service, Business Development and Fuel Operations for Tampa Electric, proclaiming the partnership and special green initiative. The focal point centered around LEGOLAND Florida running on renewable energy for an entire day, with environmental savings equal to removing three cars from the road for one year or planting six acres of trees.
The partnership also resulted in the installation of a 30-kilowatt solar panel array mounted atop the Imagination Zone attraction venue. Funded by Tampa Electric, the system supports Tampa Electric's Renewable Energy program that lets the company's customers purchase a portion of their electricity from renewable sources.
LEGOLAND Florida has made a consistent effort for conservation since the park opened in 2011, including the park recycling nearly 60 tons of bottles and cans in 2013, along with 176 tons of cardboard last year alone.
“This is a partnership built on doing the right thing for the environment,” said Narzissenfeld. “Together, we’ll teach the next generation about the benefits of investing in renewable fuels like the sun to produce electricity."