Business
New Survey Reveals Food Processors Face Escalating Energy Challenges Amid Grid Constraints and Rising Costs
A new survey jointly authored by AlphaStruxure, Schneider Electric, and Endeavor Business Intelligence reveals the U.S. Food & Beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sectors confronting unprecedented energy challenges. Grid congestion, soaring electricity costs, and macroeconomic uncertainty are delaying expansions and straining supply chains across the sector.
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[{"type":"text","content":"BOSTON, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey jointly authored by AlphaStruxure, Schneider Electric, and Endeavor Business Intelligence reveals the U.S. Food & Beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sectors confronting unprecedented energy challenges. Grid congestion, soaring electricity costs, and macroeconomic uncertainty are delaying expansions and straining supply chains across the sector.","length":408,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"AlphaStruxure","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"AlphaStruxure","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":55,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/cce211f333828e8b25683cf9648335a4"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/TI2OdKfg_wadBAXSO4hlaQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTk3O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/cce211f333828e8b25683cf9648335a4","width":400,"height":55}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2838099/AlphaStruxure_Logo.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"Key findings from 145 senior energy decision-makers include:","length":60,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"list","items":[{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"57% of food processors planning expansions face challenges securing grid power.","length":84,"tagName":"p"}]},{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"52% report their electric utilities lack sufficient capacity for growth.","length":77,"tagName":"p"}]},{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"7 in 10 are waiting at least three years for upgrades; some have reported wait times stretching beyond six years.","length":118,"tagName":"p"}]},{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"91% pay above the $0.08/kWh U.S. industrial average; nearly half saw costs rise 26% or more over five years.","length":113,"tagName":"p"}]},{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"81% use backup generators, yet 63% lack enough capacity for outages beyond a few hours.","length":92,"tagName":"p"}]}],"tagName":"ul","bulletedList":true,"length":484,"olType":false},{"type":"text","content":"For decades, food processing facilities secured large-scale utility interconnections with relative ease. After the AI industry took off, food processors are now in competition with data centers to secure scarce electricity from the grid, and this scarcity is driving up wait times an...