Amy Love and Alanna Gillis

Opinion Editors

aml7458@psu.edu, amg7393@psu.edu 

At the beginning of April, Walt Disney World Resort made an announcement that they were adding two 75-megawatt solar arrays to their energy infrastructure. Combined with their original infrastructure for renewable energy, 40 percent of the park’s electricity will now be powered by renewable sources. 

“This latest step will help us further accomplish our goal of net zero emissions by 2030,” Jeff Vahle, president of the Walt Disney World Resort, told ABC News. “Our commitment to the environment goes beyond imagining a brighter, more sustainable future by putting possibility into practice to ensure a happier, healthier planet for all.”

The park originally had two solar arrays, which only powered about 10 percent of the park. 

The new solar arrays will span over 1,000 acres and will be located outside of the park. 

They are not expected to generate power for the park until early 2023, when they will come online. 

According to the American Broadcasting Company, the addition will make Walt Disney World Resort the largest commercial company in the state of Florida.

To put into perspective how much clean energy these new solar fields would produce more than 375,000 megawatt hours of energy in its first year, which is the equivalent of removing 29,500 vehicles from the road annually.

This is a terrific step in the direction of clean energy and sustainability for Walt Disney World. The solar fields will also provide habitats to pollinators like bees and butterflies. Reportedly, two-thirds of the farm will be pollinator friendly and the other third will also serve as test gardens for environmental and horticultural experiments.

For a company whose estimated pollution emissions are 16.6 million tonnes of carbon annually and who use enough energy in its park to power up to 80,000 homes, this is a great first step toward a more environmentally friendly amusement park. Hopefully it will be very far from the last.