GM will be the only user of the Northwest Ohio Wind Farm, a 100 MW project owned by Starwood Energy Group, while Swift Current Energy will provide 100 MW from its HillTopper Wind Project in Logan County, Illinois.
Once the turbines come online by the end of 2018, renewable energy will power 20 percent of GM’s global electricity needs. “Congratulations to GM on this huge progress leap – a fantastic show of commitment at Climate Week NYC and all achieved in just a year since the company joined RE100,” said The Climate Group CEO, Helen Clarkson.
“GM vocally champions the compelling business case for renewables and shares learnings with other companies. It shows other companies what’s possible.”
The new renewable energy purchase will meet the electricity needs of the Fort Wayne Assembly, Marion Metal Center and Bedford Casting plants in Indiana and Lordstown Assembly, Defiance Casting Operations, Parma Metal Center and Toledo Transmission plants in Ohio.
Gerald Johnson, the GMNA vice president of Manufacturing and Labor said, “Technology is driving solutions for mobility and safety in our vehicles, as well as the new energy solutions that build them. This is the way we do business: offering vehicles that serve our customers’ lifestyle needs while providing sustainable solutions that improve our communities.”
General Motors is using a four-part strategy to reach its 100 percent renewable energy goals. This involves using energy efficiency along with a mix of on-site and off-site renewable energy solutions. By combining these strategies, the company actually can show how its energy and production objectives intersect.
As Rob Threlkeld, GM’s global manager of renewable energy says, while they are working toward making a vehicle with zero-emissions, it only makes sense to create a cleaner grid on which to drive them. “We’re helping provide solutions to green the grid through these new renewable energy deals and sharing best practices with other companies so they, too, can reduce risk and energy costs.”