SALINAS, CA - Earth Day is here and Taylor Farms, renowned North American producer of ready-to-eat healthy fresh foods, is ready to celebrate with its outstanding success in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings—a direct result of its use of innovative renewable and alternative energy sources. Taylor Farms has reduced its CO2 emissions by 12,190 metric tons over the course of this year through a combination of solar, wind, fuel cells, and cogeneration. The reduction is a 94 percent increase from 2017, which is equivalent to the GHG emissions from 2,588 vehicles driven for one year.
“It’s very exciting to see this amount of positive environmental impact growth within one year,” said Nicole Flewell, Director of Sustainability at Taylor Farms. “There’s so much enthusiasm internally with our team members and externally with our partners, customers, and consumers around our environmental sustainability initiatives. We’re continuing to evolve our sustainability program with a focus on resource conservation across our facilities nationwide.”
As part of its pledge to environmental sustainability, Taylor Farms is committed to reducing its carbon footprint through renewable and alternative energy and resource conservation. To ensure sustainability practices throughout the company, Taylor Farms has employed advanced water efficient wash tanks, waste reduction and recycling, food waste diversion programs, and educational curriculums. According to the press release, the company is also the first in the fresh food industry to achieve TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum Zero Waste Certification, diverting over 94 percent of materials from landfills, incinerators, and the environment.
Taylor Farms utilizes four different types of renewable and alternative energy systems to power its operations with clean energy:
- Solar: Five solar arrays at Taylor Farms’ facilities in Gonzales, CA; Salinas, CA; Tracy, CA; Smyrna, TN; and Dallas, TX, total over 18 acres of solar panels generating 7.3 million kWh/year—the equivalent of taking 1,096 cars off the road each year
- Wind Turbine: Generates 3.8 million kWh/year of clean energy, offsetting 15 percent of annual power needs at the Gonzales, CA-based facility—equivalent to 328 homes’ energy use per year
- Cogeneration: The Concentric Power Cogeneration plant is a natural gas-powered engine that provides firm energy to offset 64 percent of annual energy usage at the Gonzales, CA-based facility. When combined with power from solar and wind, the facility’s annual energy usage is offset by over 90 percent. The GHG emissions saved from the Cogeneration plant is equivalent to taking 734 cars off the road or 414 homes’ annual energy use
- Fuel Cells: The Bloom Energy Fuel Cells at the Salinas, CA plant generates firm power with each kilowatt hour 21 percent cleaner than the traditional utility grid. The GHG emissions saved is equivalent to taking 163 cars off the road each year
“The trailblazing team at Taylor Farms continues to impress with their sustainable energy goals and creative approach to transitioning completely off-the-grid, while shrinking their environmental footprint,” said CEO and Founder of Concentric Power, Brian Curtis. “It’s been an honor to be part of their renewable energy solutions, providing cogeneration as a consistent and flexible capacity for firm power generation.”
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