Las Vegas Goes Green

"Las Vegas is all about the 'experience.' In a city focused on spontaneous and gluttonous consumption, the trick is to keep the tourists entertained and the green innovation transparent, or the city will undermine its sole reason for being. But, with environmental concerns now looming large, even Las Vegas is looking to replace the Luxor beam with compact fluorescents."

"'The bigger question is, do we even need a Luxor beam?' says Steve Rypka, president of GreenDream Enterprises, a Las Vegas green living consulting firm. 'Las Vegas has worldwide recognition. How wonderful it would be for the city to be seen as a leader in green.'"

"From a building perspective, the multibillion-dollar Project CityCenter by MGM Mirage slated to open in 2009 has applied to become a LEED-certified development, the largest of its kind in the U.S."