Einstein Bros. Bagels Gaining RECs, Matching Energy Use with ENGIE Renewable Transaction

Einstein Bros. Bagels is investing in solar wind energy developed by ENGIE North America to match its electricity demand at 25 of the restaurant chain’s locations in Texas.

The two-year contract with ENGIE provides Einstein Bros. Bagels with renewable energy credits (RECs) from a portfolio of wind and solar projects. Those include ENGIE’s Live Oak Wind Project in Texas.

The output allows the restaurant chain to match 90% of hourly electricity consumption at those Texas store locations.

“Achieving 24/7 renewable energy with hourly matching and reporting is a difficult task as compared to annual matching,” said David Benhamou, ENGIE North America's head of power portfolio management, in a statement. “It requires tracking the hourly generation of multiple renewable resources and matching the RECs generated there with hourly electricity consumption at the 25 Einstein Bros. Bagels locations.”

The Einstein Bros. Bagels contract also introduces the renewable energy developer’s 24/7 matching solution being offered to a network of food service locations. Under most corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs), the customers do not receive the renewable energy directly, but their investments finance carbon-free or low-carbon projects which can be interconnected to decarbonize the overall grid.

Numerous fast food or quick-change restaurants are increasingly signing up for PPAs, renewable energy credits and sometimes even on-site solar, battery storage and microgrids. Among recent retail and commercial microgrid projects include solar and storage at Chick-Fil-A and Wendy’s restaurants, as well as on-site power at several Bimbo Bakeries factories in California.

Einstein Bros. Bagels was founded 30 years ago by the chain now known as Boston Market Corp. The company went bankrupt in 2020, and was acquired by New World Coffee and later merged with Panera Brands.