Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the world’s largest regional theme park company, in partnership with Solar Optimum and DSD Renewables, announced the installation of a new 12.37-megawatt solar carport and energy storage system at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles.
The project will rank as the largest single-site commercial renewable energy project in California, according to a company news release. Six Flags Magic Mountain, located 35 miles northwest of downtown L.A. in Valencia, opened in 1971 and is one of three properties the company maintains in the Golden State.
The Magic Mountain solar installation currently produces 20.8 million kilowatt hours of energy annually. For perspective, that amount of electricity could power 2,874 homes and 1.79 million smartphones, the company said.
“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,” said Jason Freeman, Six Flags’ vice president of Operations, Public Safety, Engineering & Maintenance. “Six Flags [is] 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.”
Upon completion, the carport will be home to the largest single-site commercial solar energy project in California — and the largest for any for-profit organization in the world. Six Flags said once the carport comes online, the park will be able to offset 100% of its energy use with solar power.
In addition to the Six Flags Magic Mountain installation, two of its other parks — Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Northern California and Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey — have also developed on-site solar capabilities with more than 30 megawatts of fully-operational solar power systems installed.
“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. “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.”