Sierra Nevada Brewing - Chico, California

Project Owners / Partners

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
California PUC

DER Technology

Four 250 kW fuel cells from FuelCell Energy

Overview

The goal of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was to produce its own onsite electricity and become energy self-sufficient. The 2000 California energy crisis significantly hampered the brewery’s operations. The hope is to switch the fuel cell’s primary power source from natural gas to methane extracted from anaerobic digester gas that is created by the grain and wastewater byproducts of the brewing process. Forty percent of the funding for the project will come from the California PUC’s Self Generation Incentive Program. The four fuel cell plants are expected to be installed in late 2005 or early 2006. FuelCell Energy will provide maintenance services under a long-term service agreement.

Contacts

FuelCell Energy, www.fuelcellenergy.com
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, www.sierranevada.com