California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee have certified that the proposed LA Clippers arena will be “net-zero” for greenhouse gases over its construction period and operational life.

The approvals mean that the Inglewood-based project has achieved the most stringent environmental standards for a sports venue in the state’s history. The certifications follow a similar determination in November by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

The proposed Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center, at the intersection of West Century Boulevard and South Prairie Avenue, includes an 18,000-seat arena, the Clippers’ team offices, practice facility, sports medicine clinic, and an outdoor plaza with community, retail and restaurant uses.

The environmental standards for the Inglewood project – which exceed what CARB required of new professional basketball arenas in San Francisco and Sacramento – will produce direct benefits to Inglewood residents and neighboring communities. That’s because, unlike other certified environmental leadership projects, at least half of all greenhouse gas reductions must be achieved through measures undertaken locally.

The signoffs from Sacramento come after an 11-month regulatory review and qualify the project for expedited judicial review if its approvals are challenged in court. Next up is the City of Inglewood’s environmental review. If approved, the arena would open in time for the 2024-2025 NBA season.

The arena project will be LEED Gold certified. Its sustainability measures include:

• A “Zero Waste” program to reduce and divert waste from landfills.
• An on-site solar energy generation system that will produce more than 1 million kWh of electricity per year and extensive use of renewable energy sources.
• Replacement of 10 Inglewood municipal fleet vehicles with zero-emission cars or vans.
• Providing zero-emission vehicles for local transit service in Inglewood.
• A program to plant 1,000 new trees in nearby neighborhoods.
• A program to purchase and install 1,000 electric vehicle chargers for residences in Inglewood and the surrounding area.
• 330 on-site electrical vehicle chargers and 20 additional publicly available chargers within Inglewood.
• Smart parking systems to more efficiently direct vehicles to parking spaces, reducing vehicle emissions.
• A comprehensive transportation demand management program that will reduce event-related and other project vehicle trips by 15%. Key elements of this program include:
  • Encouraging fans to use mass transit by providing shuttle service from three Metro stations and incentives such as integrated event and transit ticketing, discounted event tickets, and reward programs for transit users.
  • Providing park-and-ride charter bus service from locations throughout the region.
  • Incentives to encourage the use of zero-emission vehicles, carpools, vanpools, and alternative forms of transportation.
  • A local minibus/microtransit service for all event days.

Source: Environment + Energy Leader