WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) have signed a sponsorship agreement allowing ACORE to become an official partner with NASCAR Green, the sustainability arm of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140210/CL62018)

Through this agreement, Lockheed Martin and ACORE will jointly engage an audience of millions of  NASCAR fans, delivering educational content about the benefits of renewable energy, sustainability and energy security. 

"At Lockheed Martin, we've been committed to providing innovative energy solutions for decades and we are thrilled to now work alongside ACORE and NASCAR to educate and inspire fans to go green," said Frank Armijo, vice president of energy solutions at Lockheed Martin. "By helping fans learn more about renewable energy, we can help build a strong, sustainable future."

The sponsorship aims to promote careers in the renewable energy community writ large by highlighting the life-long value of studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in order to build a strong, secure, economically viable and sustainable future.

"This is the perfect vehicle for encouraging and engaging young people and lifelong learners to find careers in STEM using renewable energy as their focus," said ACORE President and CEO, Michael Brower. "A mirror of America, NASCAR fans thrive on the initiative, innovation and determination of their favorite NASCAR drivers and teams. And our renewable energy industry equally mirrors America with our dramatic successes building the new energy infrastructure and bringing down costs in an amazingly short time."

ACORE and Lockheed Martin will provide educational materials on renewable energy, sustainability and energy security at three NASCAR races in 2014, showcasing various renewable energy technologies and surveying NASCAR fans on their knowledge of renewable energy.

"With the educational components of this partnership, ACORE will help to ensure our nation's youth are equipped to become the next generation of American renewable energy innovators, inventors and industry builders, well-prepared and fully able to create a more prosperous American future built on clean, renewable energy," said Brower.

ACORE will include technology shared by ACORE members--such as solar panels, biofuel demonstrations and wind turbine models--in the display booth at the NASCAR race tracks to demonstrate how renewable energy technology works, and why the public should be excited about it. By leveraging the expertise and vast knowledge base of ACORE's members, ACORE will provide fact-based renewable energy education to a new audience and excite youth about pursuing a career in the industry.

In an effort to support college-aged students, Lockheed Martin and ACORE will create a summer fellowship program for students interested in pursuing a career in alternative energy, renewable energy or energy efficiency. The fellowships are in development and are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2015.

About ACORE:
ACORE, a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization, is dedicated to building a secure and prosperous America with clean, renewable energy. ACORE seeks to advance renewable energy through finance, policy, technology, and market development and is concentrating its member focus in 2014 on National Defense & Security, Power Generation & Infrastructure, and Transportation. Additional information is available at www.acore.org.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information, visit www.nascar.com and follow NASCAR at www.facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin Corporation