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Jackie O’s Brewery Receives Grant to Go Solar

Posted on: Wednesday, July 15, 2015

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Update 11 a.m. Jackie O’s President Art Oestrike said that the process to pursue a grant came shortly after the on Union St. fire , when businesses were looking at grants funding availability. He said that while those didn’t apply to their situation, they saw the opportunity when they purchased their Campbell St. production facility.

He said that the decision to pursue more sustainable energy sources has always been a priority in the growing business.

“We first thought of it [about adding solar panels] when we signed the lease four years ago,” Oestrike said. “It just makes sense to use solar. It’s there, it’s putting out clean energy, the price point makes sense, and the return on investment isn’t that far away. When our finances allow us to do anything that’s more sustainable, that’s what we usually chose.”

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Jackie O’s brewpub in Athens will be receiving a $44,119 grant to help install solar panels at their Campbell St. production facility.

The grant is being provided through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for American Program.

Tony Logan, the Ohio Rural Development State Director, oversees the program in Ohio. He said that the decision to give the grant to Jackie O’s made a lot of sense.

“Particularly in Athens, because there’s such a convergence of renewable energy companies and the local foods movement, which has been championed in Athens,” Logan said, adding that the announcement could not have come at a better time.

“Announcing this project at JackieO’s during Brew Week was the perfect culmination of the project that we have been working with Art [Oestrike, Jackie O’s owner] for several months.”

The grant will go toward the $176,500 total cost to install the 9.387 kilowatt roof solar panels that will end up replacing more than 70 percent of the energy used at the production plant.

The USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program is designed to help rural and agricultural businesses save, replace, or generate energy. The program has given out over 240 grants in Ohio since 2009.  Businesses can apply for up to 25 percent of the total cost of the proposed project.

For more information of sustainable craft brewing, listen to WOUB’s Studio B interview with Ohio Brew Week keynote speaker and  Great Lakes Brewing Co-Founder, Patrick Conway.