Harrah's Purchases Carbon
Offsets for Event and Challenges Participants to Reduce Their Carbon
Emissions
July 1, 2008 –Las Vegas, NV
— Harrah's Operating Company, Inc., a subsidiary of
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., announced another
collaboration with NativeEnergy,
an international marketer of high quality carbon offsets, at the World Series of Poker®. Through NativeEnergy, Harrah's purchased carbon
offsets to mitigate the global warming impact from energy use and waste at its
six and a half week event at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino. Harrah's will also offer players in the WSOP
Ante Up For Africa charity and celebrity tournament event and the WSOP Main
Event the option of offsetting the carbon emissions from air and ground travel
to and from Las Vegas, and their hotel stays.
"Harrah's continues to look for
innovative ways to conserve energy and demonstrate our commitment to
environmental sustainability," said Gary Loveman, chairman, CEO and president of Harrah's
Entertainment. "Our collaboration with NativeEnergy allows us to reduce the
environmental impact of the world's largest poker event. We'd like to challenge WSOP players and
guests to join us and also purchase carbon credits to make this a more
eco-friendly event."
The purchase of carbon offsets at the
WSOP will support NativeEnergy's
farmer-owned distributed wind program.
With financial assistance from NativeEnergy, new wind turbines on farms
throughout the Midwest will help farmers reduce their global warming impact from
energy use and reduce their long-term electricity costs, while helping to
stabilize the electricity grid with distributed, small scale, renewable power
generation.
The Williamson family farm turbine is an example of
the type of project that the WSOP carbon offsets will help support. Located just
south of Jasper, Minnesota, the Williamson farm raises beef cattle and crops on
more than 2,000 acres. Its 35 kilowatt
wind turbine began generating renewable energy in the spring of 2007. "We're very grateful for the support of
companies like Harrah's and participants in the World Series of Poker who,
working with NativeEnergy, help
family farms across the country diversify our energy supply and fight global
warning," said Wayne Williamson.
Carbon offsets can be purchased at the Harrah's booth
off the main floor of the WSOP tournament area directly from NativeEnergy. Carbon offsets will be offered based on the
average estimated travel distance and hotel stay. Carbon offset packages will also be offered
which include an eco-friendly souvenir with the offset purchase.
"Harrah's continues to be a leader in environmentally
sustainable programs. The collaboration
with NativeEnergy allows Harrah's to
provide their guests the opportunity to participate in effective solutions to
the climate crisis that can be implemented today," says Tom Boucher, President and CEO of NativeEnergy. "Environmentally
conscious companies like Harrah's and their guests are reducing and offsetting
their own emissions, directly supporting specific new projects and helping at-risk communities develop
sustainable economies in harmony with core cultural values."
About
NativeEnergy
NativeEnergy leverages market demand for carbon offsets to
bring on line new Native American, family farmer and community-owned renewable
energy projects. NativeEnergy offers third party verified
and certified renewable energy credits and offsets from a variety of operating
projects across America and internationally.
Through its novel approach of bringing upfront payment to renewable
projects for the estimated future carbon offsets, Native Energy enables its clients to
help directly finance the construction of specific new wind farms and other
renewable energy projects. NativeEnergy continues to focus on real,
additional offsets that provide both an environmental and a social benefit, for
both people and planet. More information
is available at www.nativeenergy.com.
About
Harrah's Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the
world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in
Reno, Nevada, over 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new
properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four
continents. The Company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's®,
Caesars® and Horseshoe® brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs
International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker®. Harrah's
Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers
through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed
distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. For more
information, please visit www.harrahs.com.