We are excited to share an announcement from the White House that features Kendall-Jackson as one of the forward thinking American companies that is leading the charge to develop onsite renewable energy systems nationwide. Hot off the presses, this morning’s commitment to new “Executive Actions” such as building a skilled solar workforce and developing federal programs that support clean energy and energy efficiency in affordable housing praises the individual businesses and industries that are advancing solar deployments and energy efficiency initiatives.

It is truly an honor to be included in this release, and to be recognized by the Executive Office for our own efforts in implementing renewable energy across our operations. After months of diligent planning, we are in the process of deploying solar electricity generation systems across 9 of our wineries by 2016. The Office of the Secretary helped us share the news in their Fact Sheet release under the “Private and Public Sector Commitments” section wherein:

“Jackson Family Wines is committing to installing 6.5MW of solar at locations throughout California, including the Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, Cambria, Stonestreet, Carmel Road, Murphy-Goode and Hartford wineries by 2016. That’s equivalent to taking nearly 1,250 California homes off the grid and will provide over 60% of the company’s electricity usage from emissions free renewable power.”

It is an honor to be recognized by the White House amongst other private and public sector leaders such as Cisco Systems, 3M, Kimberly-Clark, and The Public Housing Authority of Massachusetts. In fact, of all the private companies profiled in this fact sheet, Jackson Family Wines is making the largest solar commitment by far! The Obama Administration has long committed to an innovative energy strategy by historically investing in research, development, and the deployment of clean energy while creating jobs in the process. With this support, renewable energy is being implemented across all industries, by big and small players alike.

We already purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for 100% of our companywide operations, as well as an additional purchase on behalf of 100% of our employee’s home usage. We purchase these credits to offset our electricity usage with 100% renewable wind power. RECs such as these are important because they support the continued rollout of renewable electricity production across the country. This is another investment as part of our energy management strategy that is making a big impact beyond our operations.

Though we have previously invested in solar cogeneration and a solar PV installation at our Carneros Hills Winery, we are now taking another great stride forward by committing to more onsite solar generation. Not only will we be providing much of our own electricity, we will be saving money on electricity costs. Reducing our environmental foot print is the right thing to do, and it also makes great business sense. As we move forward into the future, we continue to invest in our sustainable journey, on our rooftops, in our vineyards and cellars, and most importantly, in our people.

-Sabrina Sihakom, Sustainability Coordinator