Fast food giant McDonald’s is going solar in a very big way. The fast food chain, based in Chicago, along with its distributors, has announced an arrangement to buy enough solar power to supply 100% of the energy needs of its logistics supply chain in the United States.
McDonald’s will not be installing solar panels directly on its nearly 14,000 U.S. locations, but rather will be purchasing solar energy and renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Enel North America’s Blue Jay solar project located in Grimes County, Texas.
The Blue Jay solar project is currently under construction and is not yet operational. It is anticipated to begin providing solar power to the grid at some point in 2023.
Restaurant Business reports:
McDonald’s and all five members of its North American Logistics Council, including Armada, Earp Distribution, Martin Brower, Mile Hi Foods and The Anderson-DuBose Co, will acquire renewable energy and renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Enel North America’s Blue Jay solar project in Grimes County, Tex.
The Blue Jay solar project is expected to be operational in 2023. Once complete, McDonald’s and its suppliers will purchase an estimated 470,000-megawatt hours of renewable energy every year. The company said it’s enough to avoid 170,000 metric tons of carbon emissions or about 80 million trucking miles.
“This deal is a unique example of how McDonald’s and its logistics partners are combining efforts to leverage their reach and scale to tackle supply chain emissions together,” Bob Stewart, North America chief supply chain officer for McDonald’s, said in a statement.
McDonald’s has been making investments in renewable energy for years as part of broader environmental goals to become more sustainable. The company has vowed to achieve “net zero emissions” by 2050 as part of an effort to limit the impact of climate change.
https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/mcdonalds-wants-power-its-supply-chain-solar
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