NRG Park started a new sustainability initiative on Wednesday to reduce the park's annual carbon dioxide emissions.
The new initiative is expected to generate over $54 million in savings. It is part of Harris County's Climate Action plan to reduce the city's carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030.
Alim Adatia is the Senior Director for Johnson Controls, the company partnering with NRG Park for the initiative. He said the project will include $34 million in upgrades at the park.
"The whole entire project is being paid for through energy savings through the efficiencies that are being put into the project," he said. "So at the end of the day, the taxpayer isn't paying additional funds, we're stretching existing taxpayer dollars."
Adatia said the bulk of emissions reductions will come from putting in more efficient systems, and while they don’t plan on using renewable energy yet, it’s something they might consider, along with solar.
"The way I like to think about it in a lot of ways is kind of finding your real weight before you go buy new clothing," he said.
Ryan Walsh is the CEO of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation (HCSCC). He said the park, which includes NRG Stadium, NRG Center, and several other facilities, uses a lot of electricity, water, and natural gas.
"Just to operate the facility, you think about the impact that the Rodeo has, or a Texans game, or coming up, the World Cup in ‘26. The absolute huge amounts of utilities that that uses," he said.
"NRG Park is a premiere destination that welcomes more than 5.5 million people annually," Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said in a press release. "These enhancements will create a more enjoyable and resilient environment for people traveling from near and far to attend the multitude of events hosted there."
The sustainability project for NRG Park is scheduled to be completed within 24 months.
