Constellation, an Exelon company and retail energy supplier, has announced a wind energy agreement with furnishing company Herman Miller.
Under the four-year deal, Herman Miller’s Spring Lake, Mich., manufacturing locations will be powered with 100% renewable energy, coming from the Harvest II wind project in Elkton, Mich., which is managed by Exelon Generation.
The agreement is expected to supply Herman Miller with roughly 25,000 MWh of wind energy annually. The Spring Lake campus is responsible for about a quarter of Herman Miller’s global energy consumption, and it is the biggest consumer of electricity in Spring Lake, notes Constellation. The Spring Lake campus is made up of two vertically integrated steel manufacturing facilities that fabricate, powder-coat and assemble numerous products, including tables, filing and storage systems, and desks.
The agreement leverages the Constellation Offsite Renewables (CORe) retail offering – designed to increase access to renewable energy for commercial and industrial customers – which will match the manufacturing location’s annual electricity use with renewable energy certificates from the Harvest II wind project. Constellation has a suite of CORe offerings across the country, but this agreement is the first in Michigan.
“Constellation is committed to the development of clean energy solutions that meet the needs of our customers, and our CORe offering is helping Herman Miller achieve its ambitious sustainability goals,” states Mark Huston, president of Constellation’s retail business. “Consumers are increasingly adopting off-site renewables, and we welcome Herman Miller to the growing list of organizations choosing carbon-free wind power to sustainably power their operations.”
In 2016, Herman Miller began a partnership with Michigan-based energy management firm Foresight to evaluate and implement procurement strategies aimed at reducing costs and increasing renewable energy consumption. The new wind energy contract with Constellation is one solution that came from this partnership.
“We’re very excited to work with Foresight and Constellation on this initiative. Sustainable practices and creating a better world have been part of Herman Miller’s guiding principles since the company’s start,” says Gabe Wing, director of safety and sustainability at Herman Miller. “This project will help us meet our sustainability goals – and doesn’t negatively impact our business. We will continue to reduce our carbon footprint through energy efficiency projects and supporting green energy projects like Harvest II where the market allows.”
