March 20, 2019

Smithfield Foods adds 50+ wind turbines in Colo.

Smithfield Foods Inc., a global food company, signed an agreement to power dozens of the company’s hog farms in Colorado with on-site wind energy. The deal will provide Smithfield with long-term renewable energy for its agricultural operations and contribute to its goal to reduce GHG emissions 25% by percent by 2025, which the company says is the first commitment of its kind from a protein company.

The agreement was signed with United Wind, which will install more than 50 distributed wind turbines for Smithfield Farms through WindLease, a program that provides farms and other rural businesses with a distributed wind system, sized to meet each customer's on-site load, and priced at a fixed monthly rate for the twenty-year lease term. United Wind handles all aspects of the project, from permitting and construction to monitoring and maintenance, with no upfront or ongoing project-related costs.

"At Smithfield, we are committed to seeking out innovative ways to reduce our environmental impact, all while creating value for our company and stakeholders," said Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. "This partnership with United Wind is part of our efforts to produce the food needed to feed a growing world population while minimizing our use of natural resources."