McDonald’s announced on Dec. 14 that it had signed an agreement for it and all five members of its North American Logistics Council to purchase renewable energy and associated renewable energy certificates from Enel North America.
The Virtual Power Purchase Agreement with Enel’s Blue Jay Solar project in Grimes County, Texas, would mean the electricity load of the fast food chain’s entire logistics supply chain for all of its U.S. restaurants would be supported by 100 percent renewable energy.
The Blue Jay solar project is expected to be fully operational in 2023, Enel said. Once completed, McDonald’s and its suppliers would purchase an estimated average of over 470,000-megawatt hours of renewable energy annually, the equivalent of avoiding over 170,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.
“Adding Blue Jay solar to our U.S. renewable energy portfolio is one of the many important steps in our journey to achieving our net zero aspirations,” said Bob Stewart, SVP and Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America, at McDonald’s. “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. We are excited about our collective potential to help address climate change and drive continuous improvement.”
The agreement means McDonald’s and its partners purchased 189 megawatts of renewable power, the equivalent of more than 900 U.S. McDonald’s restaurants-worth of energy annually.
“This innovative deal demonstrates how Enel is helping major companies take a hands-on approach in helping their partners decarbonize their operations,” said Paolo Romanacci, head of Enel North America’s renewable energy business, Enel Green Power. “We’re honored to be part of such a monumental deal and look forward to helping McDonald’s and its suppliers achieve their supply chain emission reduction goals through this tailored solution.”