Andersen Corp. announced it will begin utilizing renewable electricity in the company's Minnesota facilities as part of Xcel Energy's Renewable*Connect program.
Andersen's Renewal by Andersen facility in Cottage Grove, Minnesota; corporate headquarters in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota; RD&I facility in Bayport, Minnesota; and all employee electric vehicle charging stations in Minnesota will operate with 100% renewable electricity. Xcel Energy's renewable electricity subscription-based program empowers customers to fuel their facilities with up to 100% clean electricity, providing an innovative avenue for harnessing sustainability, even when direct solar or wind installations are not feasible.
What Andersen says
"Enrolling in Xcel Energy's Renewable*Connect program underscores our commitment to clean, renewable electricity, furthering our efforts to build a more sustainable future for generations to come, and helps reduce our environmental impact," says Brett Sitter, corporate sustainability manager, Andersen. "By participating, we not only support the growth of renewable electricity in Minnesota but also hope to inspire others within our industry to join the movement toward a more sustainable and eco-responsible future."
Andersen's renewable commitment
Beyond the utilization of renewable electricity, Andersen has held a long-standing commitment to energy efficiency in its facilities for many years, including relighting initiatives at many of its manufacturing and logistics facilities. Through the Renewable*Connect subscription, Andersen is avoiding approximately 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, based on Upper Midwest reported CO2 Intensities from the Xcel Energy 2022 Carbon Dioxide Emission Intensities Information Sheet. This amount of avoided CO2 each year is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by approximately 10,000 acres of U.S. forest in one year, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator.