Constellation, PGA of America encourage energy conservation pledges from golf fans at PGA Championship

2018 Ryder Cup Captain and Constellation brand ambassador Jim Furyk to make ceremonial first “Driving Sustainability” pledge

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (May 15, 2019) — Constellation, an Exelon company and a leading retail energy supplier, and the PGA of America are encouraging golf fans to make sustainable choices in their day-to-day lives at the 2019 PGA Championship, May 15-19, at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. Constellation and the PGA of America will kick off the “Driving Sustainability” initiative Wednesday, May 15, at 3:45 p.m.

“As our organization takes proactive steps to reduce its energy consumption and positively impact the environment, we’re excited to embolden the golf community to do the same,” said Jeff Price, Chief Commercial Officer, PGA of America. “We’re proud that this partnership with Constellation is enabling the PGA of America to improve its operational efficiency and make clear to our fans and 29,000 members that long-term sustainability is among our top priorities.”

The “Driving Sustainability” fan experience at the PGA Championship will have spectators drop golf tees in bins labeled with simple ways to conserve energy and improve the environment, symbolizing their pledge toward a sustainable future. Ryder Cup Captain and longtime Constellation brand ambassador Jim Furyk will make the ceremonial “first” pledge at the kick-off event.

For every pledge, Constellation will donate $10 (up to $50,000) to Solar One Green Design Labs, a local nonprofit organization that provides urban sustainability and environmental education programming in New York City schools.

Constellation will also minimize the carbon footprint of the PGA Championship by matching the electricity used during the tournament with Green-e Energy Certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) representing energy generated from clean, renewable resources.

Constellation, the PGA of America’s Official Energy Provider and Sustainability Partner since 2016, has helped the organization develop and implement sustainability strategies — working to reduce energy consumption and cut costs at golf facilities nationwide through its Efficiency Made Easy (EME) program. EME enables customers to implement energy conservation measures with no upfront capital and fund the costs of those improvements through their electricity supply agreement. Constellation also serves as the electricity and gas provider for more than 50 PGA of America member facilities nationwide.

“This collaboration has allowed us to work with PGA professionals across the country to implement tailored energy management options unique to each golf course,” said Mark Huston, President of Constellation’s National Retail Business. “We’re pleased our clean energy solutions have delivered tangible results for the PGA of America and look forward to continuing to partner with the organization to help them meet their sustainability goals.”

On average, LED lighting upgrades at PGA of America facilities have reduced lighting energy use by 35-50 percent and costs by 10-16 percent. HVAC improvements have cut cooling use by 10-25 percent.

Additional energy conservation for options for golf facilities include: solar, building automation, water conservation, electric vehicle charging stations, portable generators, and electric golf carts.