Woodbine Entertainment Group Supports Earth Hour

Woodbine Entertainment Group announced today it will join thousands of organizations and almost a billion people around the world and participate in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 27.

Now in its third year, Earth Hour combines the conservation efforts of a wide range of corporate and government groups, as well as hundreds of millions of citizens, all of whom will turn off their lights and reduce their electricity consumption for 60 minutes from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

"We continue to throw our full support behind Earth Hour and the awareness it will create," said Jane Holmes, vice-president of corporate affairs, Woodbine Entertainment. "We will do whatever we can to rein in whatever excess power we can find."

It may seem like business as usual during Saturday night's regular standardbred card under the lights, but nothing could be further from the truth. While the stadium lights remain on to conduct racing safely, behind the scenes, WEG's Director of Infrastructure & Energy Efficiencies, John Marhong, has mapped out a plan that will save about 500,000 watts of electricity.

Woodbine's Earth Hour initiatives will reach this level by eliminating lighting in certain areas of the grandstand and administration areas, and also by lowering air and water temperatures. Woodbine's exterior front sign, one of the two infield LED displays and any other non-essential lighting will also be turned off.

At other WEG properties, such as Greenwood, WEGZ, Turf Lounge and Mohawk, attempts also center around reducing non-essential lighting to a minimum.

Marhong credits Woodbine's Building Automation System for helping to optimize WEG's energy saving strategy. The technology is so intricate that Marhong has the ability to control electric, heating and air conditioning systems inside Woodbine from anywhere he can hook up his laptop computer.

"Earth Hour gives us the opportunity to test our Building Automation System to see what else can be shut down with minimal impact," added Marhong.

It's pivotal to find new ways to improve the system because it puts WEG in a stronger position to respond quickly in the event of a power curtailment.

Since 2006 WEG has invested approximately $1 million dollars a year on green initiatives. In 2009 WEG re-invested $2.3 million in Green Capital Expenditures to ensure responsible energy management and long term sustainability at both its Woodbine and Mohawk racetracks.

"We encourage our employees and customers to consider how their actions effect the environment. We challenge everyone to find ways of reducing the size of the ecological footprint they leave behind," said Holmes.

In upcoming Earth Day events, WEG employees will be showing their support for the environment on April 24, when employees are planting trees at the Partners in Project Green's second Annual Earth Day Tree planting event. On May 1, employees will be picking up trash along the roadways surrounding Mohawk Racetrack in support of the Nassagaweya Clean Up.