Anheuser-Busch to install US’s largest solar project for a brewery

The US's largest brewer Anheuser-Busch has announced a $64m investment at its Los Angeles brewery that will see the largest onsite solar installation of any US brewery, with solar power set to generate more than 10% of the site's total electricity use.


Anheuser-Busch to install US’s largest solar project for a brewery

Earlier this year the brewer revealed that it had achieved 100% renewable electricity for its beverage production activities in the US

The $64m investment will see the Los Angeles brewery have the largest solar installation of any brewery in the US. The brewer is yet to disclose the size or capacity of the installation, but solar will account for more than 10% of the site’s total electricity use.

Additionally, the investment will enable beers from more than 100 brands to be brewed at the site, – more than any other brewery in the Anheuser-Busch network, while creating 16 new jobs.

The investment is part of the brewer’s announcement made earlier this year to invest $1bn over two years in its facilities to help accelerate the nation’s green recovery and support communities across the US.

“For over 60 years, we have been proud to be a part of the Los Angeles community. With this investment, we are continuing our support for the local economy and reaffirming our leadership on sustainability and product innovation,” Anheuser-Busch’s Los Angeles brewery senior general manager Eric Gutierrez said.

“Reducing our environmental impact while at the same time adding jobs and expanding our ability to brew some of America’s most beloved brands is a ‘win-win’ for the Los Angeles community.”

Earlier this year the brewer revealed that it had achieved 100% renewable electricity for its beverage production activities in the US – a goal originally set for 2025.

In total, Anheuser-Busch has now invested in 12 renewable electricity generation projects across the US. Ten projects are located at flagship breweries, distribution centres and craft partner breweries. Aside from the solar farm in Texas, the other offsite array is the 152MW Budweiser Wind Farm at Thunder Ranch, Oklahoma, built as part of a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Enel’s Green Power Arm. Anheuser-Busch claims that it has added nearly 400MW of renewable electricity generation capacity to the grid in the US, mitigating 950,000 metric tonnes of CO2e related to energy generation from fossil fuels.

The brewer’s work has been commended by politicians in several states where renewable arrays are active, including New Hampshire and California, which is notably the US’s leading renewable generator and is striving to ensure that its energy sector generates 56% less emissions annually in 2030 than it did in 1990.


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Matt Mace

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