A newly completed solar project in central New York will serve an Anheuser-Busch brewery Baldwinsville, N.Y.
The brewery is the sole off-taker of the 2.76 MW commercial project, located in the town of Van Buren. The solar array, owned and operated by AES Distributed Energy Inc., was developed to support Anheuser-Busch’s goal to purchase 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
The facility also complements “Central New York Rising,” the region’s strategy to generate economic growth and community development, and supports Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Green New Deal, which calls for 70% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030 and 6,000 MW of solar by 2025.
“New York is making nation-leading investments in renewable energy resources that support our rapidly growing clean energy economy and provide businesses and residents with cleaner, more cost-effective energy,” says Cuomo. “This project exemplifies our efforts to support solar projects across the state that deliver meaningful environmental benefits, while spurring economic growth that will serve New Yorkers for generations to come.”
“This significant solar project by Anheuser-Busch and AES Distributed Energy will use renewable energy sources and help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions,” adds New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. “The investment, as part of NY-Sun, continues our efforts to attract and spur cutting-edge projects that save consumers money and advances New York’s nation-leading clean energy goals. The solar facility helps to protect the environment, creating job opportunities and growing the economy of central New York.”
NY-Sun is Cuomo’s $1 billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar and move the state closer to having a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), through NY-Sun, provided over $1.1 million in support for the array, which comprises more than 8,300 solar panels – making it Anheuser-Busch’s largest off-site installation to date in the U.S.
“Governor Cuomo has made private-public partnerships the hallmark of the state’s holistic approach to planning for the future and a critical part of New York becoming one of the fastest-growing solar markets in the nation,” says Alicia Barton, NYSERDA’s president and CEO.
Located six miles from the Baldwinsville brewery, the project will produce over 3 million kWh annually – the equivalent of providing enough to brew 3 million cases of beverages annually.
Anheuser-Busch already procures 50% of its purchased electricity from wind power, which is more than the amount of electricity required to brew Budweiser beer in the U.S. each year.
“Our commitment to our communities and our environment go hand in hand,” comments Ingrid De Ryck, vice president of procurement and sustainability at Anheuser-Busch. “With this solar project, we are proud to continue investing in renewable energy in a community that our employees call home, bringing our sustainability goals to life right in our own backyard.”
