Finance, Industrial, Sourcing Renewables, Wind  -  October 27, 2016

Whirlpool breaks ground on $3.3M wind project

^{Photo rendering of Whirlpool's Findlay, Ohio, facility, provided by Whirlpool.} 

Whirlpool Corp. has broken ground on $3.3 million wind turbine project at its Ottawa, Ohio, manufacturing plant. 

The Oct. 26 announcement came a day after the home appliance manufacturer joined forces with nine other national businesses in urging Ohio Legislators to advance supportive clean energy policies in the state. In a news release, Whirlpool said the wind project is part of its ongoing commitment to producing products in the U.S. in a cost effective and environmentally efficient manner.

The Ottawa project objectives are to save money while offsetting the facility's electrical consumption by more than 30%. The turbine will be built and funded by One Energy, and is a part of Whirlpool's previously announced, $13.5 million "Wind for Industry" initiative announced earlier this year. That initiative includes a three-turbine wind farm project at its Marion plant; Whirlpool also has a two-turbine farm at its Findlay plant that has been running since January.

"Wind power is a key component of our commitment to environmentally responsible operations and manufacturing," Whirlpool Global Sustainability DirectorRon Voglewede said in a statement. "We're also excited for the opportunity to put our global commitment to sustainability into practice at a local level here in Ohio, where we have made a significant commitment to manufacturing, including by employing approximately 10,000 manufacturing employees."

The company says the completion its newest wind projects in Ottawa and Marion has the potential to make Whirlpool one of the largest Fortune 500 consumers of on-site wind energy in the U.S.

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