News

July 30, 2010

Racing with the sun at Pocono

A huge collection of solar panels will provide the racetrack’s electricity, thanks to the nerve and vision of owner Dr. Joseph Mattioli

By Andrew M. Seder aseder@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
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LONG POND – When Dr. Joseph Mattioli initially thought about adding solar panels at his 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway in Monroe County, he said had visions of solar panels being installed on top of the grandstands and the garages.

But as those who drive down Long Pond Road have likely noticed – it’s pretty hard to miss – those plans grew and on Friday a 40,000 panel solar farm, occupying 25 acres, was unveiled to the public during a ceremony across the street from the racetrack.

“Yeah, NASCAR does like to do things big and fast,” said state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger. “This is big and you put it up fast.”

The $18 million solar farm will become the primary electric energy source for the race track while adding enough electricity to the local power grid it could power 1,000 homes annually. Developed by Escondido, Calif.-based renewable energy company enXco, and owned by Pocono Raceway, the project was developed as part of a national push to go green.

Mattioli and enXco took that green initiative to the extreme, building the largest renewable energy project at a sporting venue in the world. It’s so large it’s visible from outer space, according to Earl Krause, the track’s public address announcer.

Hannah Muller, with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar America Cities Program, praised the project and leadership at the racetrack for sending a powerful message that renewable energy is possible anywhere in the country, “not just in the deserts of the Southwest.”

And at a time when so many energy-related industries are suffering black eyes including natural gas and oil, projects like this are environmentally-friendly.

“There’s no air pollution, no water pollution,” Hanger said. “This is part of cleaning up our environment as a well as making our economy go.”

Wayne E. Gardner, a commissioner with the state’s Public Utility Commission, lauded Mattioli for his vision and foresight.

“It takes real leadership and courage to decide to make the significant investment we see here today,” Gardner said. He noted that other facilities “have changed light bulbs” in an effort to go green and said he hoped “other sports facilities will mimic this type of courageous effort.”

Mattioli said the track’s energy bill is $750,000 a year and when factoring in the energy grants, tax credits and electricity that can be sold back to the grid, the track sees this as a profitable business plan. And it might not be finished. He said if it works as well as track officials hope, there is room for expansion.
 
 

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