Chipotle Goes Partly Solar (CMG)

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is trying the solar gimmick, yet this is actually just another step on building upon its social already-respectable image.  This morning the company announced that it is partnering with Houston-based Standard Renewable Energy to install solar panels on about 75 Chipotle restaurants over the next year that will ultimately produce 500 kilowatt hours of electricity.  Chipotle claims that this will make it the largest direct producer of solar energy in the restaurant sector.

The company did note that solar panel installations have already begun in Denver, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio.  This won’t be a system-wide roll-out where solar may be used is based on a formula that includes a restaurant’s electricity consumption, local utility solar rebates, and its access to direct sunlight.

This solar effort, according to the company, is meant to reduce its power consumption during peak hours, and it noted that this will reduce more than 41 million pounds of CO2 emissions.  This is not Chipotle’s first green initiative, as it has used alternative energy and energy efficient power consumption at many restaurants, and the company has demonstrated in many cases how it has some of the cleanest and best quality of ingredients and meats of all fast food companies.

As far as how 75 restaurants compares to its system-wide operations, Chipotle operates nearly 900 stores.

JON C. OGG