The Wendy’s Company Powers Ahead: Expanding Solar Energy Sourcing
Wendy's leverages community solar programs to increase renewable energy access across its U.S. restaurant footprint, expected to power more than 200 restaurants with solar energy by 2025
Today, we’re proud to share our progress in sourcing renewable energy through our participation in community solar programs. Emissions reductions from these programs will advance progress against Wendy’s science-based targets to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47%, and Scope 3 emissions from franchisees by 47% per restaurant by 2030, both from a 2019 baseline.
Building on our participation in Duke Energy Florida’s Clean Energy Connection program beginning in 2022, we have joined community solar programs across multiple states through Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and Ampion to expand access to renewable energy for both Company and franchise-operated restaurants.
Through these community solar programs, and acquiring additional Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) if the program doesn’t include them, we expect that more than 200 Wendy’s® restaurants, up from 10 restaurants in early 2023, will source an estimated 12.7MW of solar energy by 2025. Our participation also supports an increase in the amount of renewable energy powering local grids, helping reduce reliance on conventional sources of electricity generation and benefiting the communities we serve.
Powering More Company-Operated Restaurants with Solar
Today, nearly 70 Wendy’s Company-operated restaurants in Florida are enrolled and receiving solar energy from Duke Energy’s Clean Energy Connection program and FPL’s SolarTogether® program. Nearly 100 Company-operated restaurants in Illinois and Massachusetts are enrolled with Ampion, a public benefit corporation that connects various energy users to community solar programs across the country, and those already assigned are expected to begin sourcing clean energy in 2024. Through the purchase of RECs and participation in community solar, we anticipate that these restaurants will source between 40% and 100% of their energy from solar.
Expanding Renewable Energy Access for Franchisees
Wendy’s is also making it easier for franchisees to access clean and affordable energy, and ultimately realize cost savings. Through our partnership with Ampion, nearly 40 franchised restaurants in New York and Illinois are now sourcing a portion of their energy from solar by purchasing RECs, equal to more than 30% of each restaurant's annual power use. Our support of community solar through Ampion is also helping to generate and supply renewable electricity to local utility grids.
"We’re proud that Wendy’s is increasing access to renewable energy for franchise-operated restaurants and of the collaboration across the Wendy’s System to reduce our environmental footprint," said Mike Jones, Wendy’s franchisee and President & CEO at Golden Eagle Foods, Inc. "Our collective participation in community solar programs not only benefits our operations and supports cost savings, but also sets a positive example for the QSR industry."
Working Toward Our Climate Goals
These initiatives contribute to Wendy's larger efforts to mitigate the Company's climate impact, a key element of our Good Done Right corporate responsibility strategy.
Visit Wendy’s most recent corporate responsibility progress update for more on Wendy’s sustainability commitments and stay tuned for our 2023 Corporate Responsibility report, coming soon.