Six Flags has selected a partner to cover its Magic Mountain parking lot with solar panels.
The Los Angeles-area theme park announced in 2018 that it planned a major new solar facility for its parking lot: North America's largest solar-powered carport may be coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain. But Six Flags had not selected an energy partner at that point for the project, which - like everything else in the world - got delayed by the pandemic.
Now, Six Flags has announced that it is working with Solar Optimum and DSD Renewables on the installation of a 12.37-megawatt solar carport and energy storage system at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
When complete, the facility will produce 20.8 million kilowatt hours of energy annually - which the company said is equivalent to the energy consumption of 2,874 homes. The solar power will offset 100% of Six Flags Magic Mountain's energy usage, and the facility will be the largest single-site commercial renewable energy project in California, Six Flags said.
"Here in California, innovation and climate action go hand-in-hand – our success as America's economic powerhouse and the world's fourth largest economy is built on our ambitious transition to a cleaner, greener future," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement released by Six Flags Magic Mountain. "Six Flags' commitment to clean energy is the type of work that will power our future and ensure our kids have a healthy planet to call home."
In addition to the project at Six Flags Magic Mountain, sister parks Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Northern California and Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey are developing on-site solar power systems.
"This is a thrilling day for Six Flags as we advance our commitment to environmental stewardship, substantially increasing solar power generation capacity at our parks," Jason Freeman, Six Flags Vice President of Operations, Public Safety, Engineering & Maintenance, said. "Six Flags has placed a high priority on efforts to improve and protect the environment, leading the way for theme park companies around the world and capturing the attention of other private organizations that also have the power to drive solar projects. By partnering with experts like Solar Optimum and DSD Renewables, we can continue to improve our environmental programs with additional waste, water and energy reduction targets and initiatives."
A Six Flags spokesperson also said that the park will be expanding its electric vehicle charging capacity, with more details to come. That means that Six Flags fans with electric vehicles can ride entirely on sunshine from the moment they arrive at Magic Mountain until they return home.
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These things are well overdue, and I believe now law in France. We waste so much space on parking lots, and the shade from panels results in cooler cars on your return - a guest win.
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this is a no-brainer for magic mountain given its, ah, ample sunshine. discovery kingdom already has some carport-style solar panels in place (in similarly toasty Vallejo) and, as a bonus, it keeps your car shady throughout the day.