SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Dec. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Mars Petcare flipped the switch on a brand new solar garden linked to the company's San Bernardino, Calif., manufacturing facility that produces PEDIGREE® Brand dry dog food. Mars partnered with Ahana Renewables, a subsidiary of ATN International, Inc. (NASDAQ : ATNI ), to develop and fund the project under a 25-year power purchase agreement.

The new solar garden features 3,420 individual solar panels that will annually deliver 1.9 million kilowatt hours, which can power more than 50 percent of the 78,000 square foot site's daily energy needs. The four-acre solar garden is projected to yield a 549 tonne reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG). The San Bernardino site opened in 1983 and was acquired by Mars Petcare in 2006. The company currently employs 75 full-time Associates at the site.

"At Mars Petcare we're working towards our mission: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™, because we whole-heartedly believe they improve our lives," said Kevin Rabinovitch, Global VP of Sustainability, Mars, Inc. "This new solar garden is a great example of the steps we need to take in order to achieve the ambitious goals set out in our new Sustainable in a Generation Plan to reduce the total environmental impact of Mars to ensure we foster a healthy planet for future generations – of people and pets."

"Mars Petcare's decision to add a solar garden to their San Bernardino manufacturing facility speaks highly of their commitment to the environment," said Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes. "This solar garden will not only help improve conditions for our community, but will show other businesses in the area the powerful benefits of renewable energy."

This is the third solar garden constructed by Mars in the United States – joining Mars Wrigley Confectionery solar gardens in Hackettstown, N.J., and Henderson, Nev. Mars also co-owns a 25,000-acre wind farm near Lamesa, Texas, featuring 118 turbines, that annually generates nearly 800,000 mega-watt hours of power.  As part of the Sustainable in a Generation Plan, Mars plans to reduce its total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its entire value chain by 27 percent by 2025 and 67 percent by 2050.

"Ahana Renewables is excited to help support Mars in reaching its sustainability goals and looks forward to providing additional energy solutions to its operations worldwide," said Managing Director Marvin Tien. "Strategic corporate partnerships like this allow Ahana to enhance its expanding platform of high quality commercial solar projects in the United States."

In conjunction with the unveiling of this new solar garden, Mars Petcare will also be making a $20,000 charitable contribution to GRID Alternatives Inland Empire. The donation will go towards furthering the organization's mission of providing access to clean, renewable solar energy to low income families throughout the Inland Empire area.

For more information about the new Mars Petcare solar garden or the Sustainable in a Generation Plan, visit www.mars.com.

About Mars Petcare US
Mars Petcare is the world's leading pet nutrition and health care business. A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™ is the vision statement held by Mars Petcare as we believe that pets make our lives better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. In the United States, Mars Petcare food brands include PEDIGREE®, IAMS®, ROYAL CANIN®, GREENIES®, CESAR®, NUTRO® and SHEBA®. Veterinary practices include BANFIELD® and BLUE PEARL®. Specialty brands include WISDOM PANEL® Canine DNA Tests and WHISTLE® GPS Pet Tracker. The company's WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition is a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and wellbeing. Mars Petcare has more than 37,000 Associates worldwide. For more information about Mars Petcare's vision: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®, visit www.bettercitiesforpets.com.

About Ahana Renewables
Ahana Renewables, a subsidiary of Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc., is a specialized investment firm focused on alternative energy and long-lived real assets. The company brings its experience to various infrastructure asset classes, capitalizing on bankable technology and strong project fundamentals. Ahana Renewables' core expertise is in deal sourcing, public/private contract negotiations and financial structuring to take active owner/operator positions in projects and portfolios. Headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Massachusetts and New York, the company currently operates a $300M portfolio with electric production capacity of 86 Megawatts worldwide. More information is available at www.ahanarenewables.com.

About GRID Alternatives Inland Empires
GRID Alternatives is America's largest nonprofit solar installer, bringing clean energy technology and job training to underserved communities through a network of community partners and philanthropic supporters. GRID has installed more than 9,491 solar electric systems for low-income families and affordable housing providers with a combined installed capacity of more than 39 megawatts, saving nearly $335 million in lifetime electricity costs, preventing more than 895,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and providing more than 35,000 people with solar training. GRID has ten regional offices and affiliates serving California, Colorado, the Mid-Atlantic area, Tribal communities nationwide, Nicaragua and Nepal. For more information, visit www.gridalternatives.org.

SOURCE Mars Petcare US

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http://www.mars.com