SANTA CLARA (KCBS) – As many celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers have promised to go the extra mile when it comes to having an environmentally-friendly new stadium design in Santa Clara.

One of the highlights of the stadium will be the 27,000 square-foot “green roof,” a first of its kind in the NFL.

The structure will sit atop a tower of luxury suites. It will include 2,000 tons of dirt and a vast garden of native plants that will soak up rainwater and provide insulation for those suites.

KCBS’ Chris Filippi Reports:

“I want people to understand that this isn’t green for green’s sake, this is going to be a functionally green stadium,” said San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York.

He said that commitment to being green will extend to menus throughout the new facility.

“You have to embrace the culinary culture of San Francisco and of Napa,” said York. “We want to make sure that we have locally grown produce.”

The stadium will feature at least 20,000 square-feet of solar panels, a ground source heat pump and even a charging station for electric cars.

York said it will be the first LEED-certified stadium in the National Football League and it is on schedule to be ready for the 2014 season.

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