Earth Week green news: IKEA is expanding its international commitment to renewable green energy by buying its first wind farm in the United States.
The wind farm is in Hoopestown, Illinois, around 100 miles south of Chicago, and it is Ikea’s largest renewable energy investment anywhere in the world to date, and gets the Swedish home furnishings company closer to its announced plan of being energy neutral by 2020. The formal term is “net zero”, which means producing as much as you consume.
The Hoopestown wind farm is now under construction. When it is operational in 2015, it is expected to produce 380,000 megawatts of energy a year, equal to 165% of the electricity consumed by IKEA in the USA, according to Forbes. That means IKEA could be selling power back to the grid.
IKEA currently has investments in wind projects in eight countries with a total of 206 turbines, plus more than 50,0000 solar panels worldwide.
Producing its own power is more than just an eco-friendly decision. After all, IKEA owns most of its stores, factories, and the land they are on. So why not own energy production, too.
Next thing I want to hear is that IKEA is switching to electric, plug-in electric hybrid or CNG trucks to save even more energy. Recharging your delivery trucks from net zero renewable energy makes good business sense and good environmental sense.
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