McDonald’s switches to locally generated renewable electricity

Since 1 January 2023, all 262 McDonald’s restaurants in the Netherlands are using 100% sustainable solar and wind energy that is being generated locally. The electricity is produced by new wind and solar farms that have been developed in the past two years. In this way, McDonald’s is stimulating sustainable electricity production in the Netherlands. This switch to renewable energy is part of a wider collaboration with Eneco aimed at making the family restaurants energy neutral.

In the broader approach the focus is on energy consumption reduction and self-generated energy. This ranges from rooftop solar panels to storing sustainable energy. In close cooperation, the franchisees, McDonald’s Nederland and Eneco are also investigating the possibility of expanding the number of gas-free restaurants. All new restaurants are already being developed gas-free, as a result there are now more than fifty fully electric restaurants. 

McDonald’s has been committed to sustainability for years, ranging from sustainable logistics and construction to reducing litter. In doing so, the possibilities that the environment offers are taken into account. A restaurant in the middle of the city has different opportunities in terms of sustainability than a restaurant along the motorway.

Patrick Tieleman, Director National Operations, McDonald’s Nederland is enthusiastic about the collaboration: “McDonald’s wishes to take every possible step towards making our restaurants sustainable. The fact that we can now give this extra strength in this collaboration with Eneco makes me very proud. Especially since this energy is additional and is generated regionally. I look forward to working with Eneco and our Franchisees to further shape the energy transition for McDonald's in the Netherlands."

Dick Velings, Director B2B Eneco: “Moving towards sustainability is faster when you do it together. This is also the aim of our collaboration with McDonalds. From now on, all restaurants will be using locally generated green electricity. At the same time, we are investigating how we can make the restaurants completely energy-neutral by becoming gas-free, for example, or by producing their own energy.”