Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp., maker of brands such as SKIPPY and SPAM, has announced a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for wind energy.
The new wind farm will be located near Milligan, Neb. With construction expected to be completed in 2020, the project will be capable of producing 74 MW of power and an estimated 349,000 MWh of electricity each year. Hormel Foods partnered with Kinect Energy Group to assess the project and negotiate the agreement.
“As a leading corporate citizen in our industry, we are inspired by projects that minimize environmental impacts and align with the interests of our customers and consumers around the world,” states Tom Raymond, director of environmental sustainability at Hormel Foods. “This agreement supports our company’s environmental sustainability goals and is a testament to our commitment and support of renewable energy.”
Through this and other initiatives, Hormel Foods will be supplied by almost 50% renewable energy. Hormel Foods also subscribes to community solar gardens at five manufacturing locations, including through a co-sponsorship with Westar Energy for a community solar garden near Wichita, Kan., where the company manufactures most of its Hormel Natural Choice bacon products.
“The addition of renewable energy helps to clean the electrical grid and drive sustainable food production,” says Coulter Wood, energy manager at Hormel Foods. “We will look to lead the way in renewable energy acquisition as we continue to feed the world’s growing population in a sustainable manner.”
