AEG Europe has signed a new energy supply agreement with Ecotricity that will see its UK venues, including The O2, Eventim Apollo, Watford Colosseum and others, powered entirely with renewable energy.
According to a statement by AEG, the deal seeks to set ‘a new standard for energy provision across the live entertainment sector’, with the supply agreement combining power purchase agreements (PPAs) with hourly-matched renewable energy certificates known as REGOs.
‘First-of-its-kind agreement’
“PPAs are widely recognised as the gold standard in energy procurement, and we’re proud to play a role in launching this first-of-its-kind agreement,” commented Sam Booth, AEG Europe’s director of sustainability
“It marks a significant milestone in the ongoing journey to decarbonise the live entertainment industry, and we’re pleased to help drive this progress.”
Each venue will receive electricity linked directly to specific renewable assets, in turn operating predominantly off energy generated by solar and hydro assets, providing transparency and meeting audit-level scrutiny.
Ripple effect
AEG also added that this investment accelerates the availability of renewable energy on the UK national grid, which creates a ‘ripple effect’.
“This is big news for live music, as venues across Britain – including London’s iconic The O2 – will be powered by deep green energy,” added Dale Vince OBE, founder at Ecotricity. “AEG have already been working with us to bring clean power to outdoor festivals like All Points East and LIDO earlier this summer, with our Grid Faeries x Ecotricity battery.
“Now they’re going even further – bringing green power indoors. It’s a major step forward, and a proper milestone on the road to greening up the live entertainment world.”
Previous sustainability measures introduced by AEG across its network of venues include a series of ‘carbon-removed’ events at The O2 in February 2024 which saw some 545.9 tonnes of carbon offset across four shows – equivalent to the electricity usage of 395 average homes. Elsewhere, AEG has introduced permanent reusable cup schemes, biodegradable serveware, and carbon labelling for food vendors among other carbon-reduction projects. Read more here. [Photo: The O2, London, photo by Luke Dyson]
