Chicago teams to play green games in April

When players hit the ice or the court, arenas buzz with electricity.

The Bulls and Blackhawks will offset energy use from a game each in April with renewable energy credits. Photo: compscigrad (Flickr)

Hot dog machines, enormous flat screens and thousands of light bulbs suck off the grid for hours before, during and after the game.

Two Windy City teams will offset their energy haul by partnering with an energy producer and distributor to play a couple “green games.”

In a build up to Earth Day on April 22, the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks will both play one game each sponsored by Constellation Energy Group, which will buy renewable energy certificates matching the amount of electric used for the day’s game at the United Center where both teams play.

The Blackhawks will play their sponsored game on April 1 and the Bulls will play theirs the next day.

Renewable energy credits are not real energy. They are credits that represent the environmental benefits from renewable energy. Once renewable energy is on the grid, it’s indistinguishable from other energy, so the credits are a way to subsidize them, and purchasers can say they bought renewable energy.

It’s only two games. But arenas use a lot of energy. A 2009 study estimated Canadian hockey arenas use about 1,500,000 kilowatt-hours per year. The average U.S. house uses 11,496 kilowatt-hours per year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Financial details of the agreement between the teams and Constellation Energy Group aren’t available