GM's Arlington Assembly in Texas operates on 100% clean wind energy following the recent opening of the Cactus Flats Wind Farm, the company announced earlier this month.
The energy sourced from Cactus Flats combined with power procured from the Los Mirasoles Wind Farm meets 100% of the electricity demand of 16 GM offices and facilities and more than 10,000 GM and GM subsidiary employees across Texas and the southeast U.S.
The 148-megawatt facility based in Concho County operates in partnership with Southern Power and General Mills.
Arlington Assembly has operated since 1954. It is currently the only GM facility in the world to produce GM’s portfolio of full-size SUVs, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade.
The assembly plant is one of 74 GM facilities recognized by the EPA for achieving the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry for reducing energy intensity by at least 10% within five years. According to the EPA, the plant’s green power use of more than 104 million kilowatt-hours is equivalent to the annual electricity use of nearly 10,000 average American homes.
The company's green efforts earned a spot on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Top 100 List of the largest green power users. The plant’s No. 76 ranking in the Green Power Partnership recognizes GM’s efforts to power all its global facilities with 100% renewable energy by 2050.
“Receiving this recognition from the EPA is a true honor for the men and women at Arlington Assembly and UAW Local 276,” said Lamar Rucker, plant executive director at Arlington Assembly. “We take great pride in responsibly building world-class vehicles for our customers around the globe.”
A decades-long approach to sourcing renewable energy has resulted in millions of dollars in savings for the company and further reductions of its environmental footprint. GM pledged to meet the electricity needs at all its global operations with renewable energy by 2050. By the end of 2018, GM will be about 20% of the way there.
“Renewable energy is an important part of GM’s vision for a zero-emissions future,” said Rob Threlkeld, global manager of Renewable Energy. “The EPA’s support and recognition send a strong message that transitioning to renewables is good for business and the environment, and helps make a greener grid and cleaner energy more accessible for everyone.”
In 2018, GM was the only automaker named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index for the fourth consecutive year and the World Index for the second year. The company shares best practices in renewable energy strategies with other companies and organizations so they too can reduce risk and energy costs.
