Walt Disney has announced that by the end of the year, it will have a 270-acre solar farm to power two of its four theme parks.
- 50-megawatt solar facility will be near Animal Kingdom
- It is expected to power two Disney theme parks
The new initiative is in collaboration with Reed Creek Improvement District and Origis Energy USA, a solar project developer.
The 50-megawatt solar facility will include half a million solar panels and it is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emission by more than 57,000 tons a year, Disney stated in a blog post.
"That’s the annual equivalent of removing 9,300 automobiles from the roads. More broadly, this initiative will join the numerous efforts The Walt Disney Company has launched to deliver its 2020 goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent compared to 2012," Disney mentioned in the announcement.
The solar facility will be near Disney's Animal Kingdom and construction is expected to begin in the coming months.
In addition, teams from Disney's Animals, Science and Environment and Horticulture will come up with ways to make the facility pollinator friendly, meaning wildflowers and vegetation maybe placed there, "creating a safe and welcoming habitat for butterflies, bees and other insects, including endangered and at-risk species," Disney explained.
The two parks that will benefit from the new solar facility have not been named.