Anheuser Busch, makers of the Budweiser brand of beers, recently unveiled its 2019 Super Bowl commercial, which features Clydesdales, wind turbines, and Bob Dylan, proclaiming that Anheuser Busch “now brews with wind power for a better tomorrow.” The renewable energy behind the ad is theThunder Ranch wind farm, a 300 MW project in north central Oklahoma in Noble, Kay and Garfield Counties, enough to power 79,000 homes. Through its investment in the Thunder Ranch wind farm, Anheuser Busch is generating enough renewable energy to power every Budweiser brewery in the U.S.
According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Oklahoma ranks second among all U.S. states in wind energy production. The state’s 46 wind farms were constructed with total capital investment of $13.7 billion, which in turn produces annual land lease payments of $20 – $25 million to Oklahoma land ranchers and farmers. Wind energy provided 31.9% of all in-state electricity production in 2017, which is the equivalent amount of power to energize 2.3 million homes. These wind farms use virtually zero water to produce electricity, which saves the state 4.9 billion gallons per year. AWEA has estimated that in 2017, wind energy was also responsible for creating 8,000 to 9,000 direct and indirect jobs supported.
In response, Johnson Grimm-Bridgwater, Director of the Sierra Club’s Oklahoma Chapter issued the following statement:
“Wind power looks good in Oklahoma and it is great to see Anheuser Busch embracing renewable energy. We are especially proud that Oklahoma is the second highest producer of wind energy across the United States because it knows how wind can save customers money and support local economies. Anheuser Busch’s investment in Oklahoma wind power shows other Fortune 500 companies that investing in renewable energy is powering our country today and for the future. While we congratulate Anheuser Busch, we hope that this moment will push local utilities, corporate offices, suppliers, and distribution centers to power all of America with clean renewable energy and move away from dirty fossil fuels.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.