As the first step in our journey, we are partnering with Direct Energy to make sure that all of the electricity used to brew Budweiser in Canada is covered by certified renewable electricity certificates (RECs), helping green Canada’s electricity supply.

In Canada, our brewing plants get most of their electricity from the power grids that they are connected to. The purchase of RECs helps electricity generators promote the continued development of renewable electricity sources, and displaces electricity generated from non-renewable sources like fossil fuels.

Through our partnership with Direct Energy in Canada, 100% of the elements of the Budweiser brewing process that are reliant on electricity are now supported by RECs. Every kilowatt hour of electricity we use to brew Budweiser relates to a certified renewable electricity source, as if we purchased the renewable electricity directly from that source.

Direct Energy sources its RECs from renewable electricity projects across Canada. The quantity of renewable electricity represented by the RECs to be supplied by Direct Energy is estimated to be approximately 25,870 MWh annually

In British Columbia, home of our Creston brewery, Direct Energy will provide RECs generated through biomass. In Alberta, where we have a brewery in Edmonton, Direct Energy will provide RECs from hydroelectric sources and is also looking at using wind power sources. In Central and Eastern Canada, where we have breweries located in London, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and St. John’s, Newfoundland, Direct Energy is providing RECs sourced from hydroelectric generators in Quebec. We determine the eligibility of the RECs for each brewery based on guidance from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which manages the ECOLOGO® certification. The renewable electricity maintains certification under UL’s Standard 2854 (First Edition, January 25, 2018) for Sustainability for Renewable Low-Impact Electricity Products.

To brew the perfect beer, we need a mixture of energy – both electricity and heat. Nearly one third of our brewing energy comes from electricity, while the rest comes from heat. The heat for the brewing process comes from a mixture of energy sources including natural gas, which we are still dependent on. However, we have been looking at using low carbon sources such as biogas and landfill gas to help reduce our natural gas usage.