Diageo building a $130 million carbon neutral distillery

Spirits giant Diageo recently announced that it will be working in an environment friendly way with its newest whiskey-making venture in the Bluegrass State.
Its distillery is being built at Lebanon, Kentucky and is expected to be carbon neutral — a first for the London-based company. The $130 million distillery of Bulleit bourbon is expected to be fully operational in 2021.
The site will be powered by 100% renewable electricity, with a capacity to produce up to 10 million proof gallons per year — or 3.8 million 9-liter cases, the company said.
“As a company we know that our long-term sustainable growth depends on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change,” said Perry Jones, president of North America Supply for Diageo. “This groundbreaking undertaking to electrify our operations and then power them with renewable electricity will result in one of the largest carbon neutral distilleries in North America. This is a significant step to strengthen our commitment to minimising our carbon emissions and will result in an important reduction of Diageo’s environmental impact on a global level.”
The new distillery moves the company closer to its goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, it said. The renewable electricity will be supplied by Inter-County Energy and East Kentucky Power Cooperative, it said.