US wind farms operated by Enel generated electricity that was used to power the Gillette Stadium hosting the New England Patriots’ opening home game.
Enel signed an agreement to become the exclusive energy partner of Kraft’s sports, entertainment and event management division, featuring the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, Boston Uprising, Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place, among others.
Through the partnership, Enel powered the New England Patriots game on Sunday 8 September at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with wind energy from renewable energy credits.
Enel North America head Enrico Viale said: “As the exclusive energy partner of Kraft Sports and Entertainment, we will help the company meet its sustainability commitments by leveraging our unique expertise that spans renewables development and innovative energy solutions, while boosting the integration of sustainable practices and principles in sport and entertainment.”
The partners will evaluate opportunities to support the energy initiatives of Kraft Sports and Entertainment through energy services and technologies such as smart charging electric vehicle stations and battery storage to support Kraft’s goal of making Gillette Stadium the first in the world to be able to operate independently from the grid.
Since 2015, Kraft has worked closely with Enel X to maximise energy savings through demand response programmes and resiliency initiatives.
The programmes provide standby capacity to prevent blackouts and other grid disturbances when the electric grid encounters emergency conditions, and also result in significant savings on electricity bills.