THE LATEST SCOOP: DAIRY BRIEFS
Ice cream and refrigerated iced tea processorTurkey Hill Dairy, Conestoga, Pa., said it will now receive a quarter of its annual electricity needs from a new wind turbine power project at neighboring Frey Farm on Turkey Hill along the banks of the Susquehanna River. In partnership withPPL Renewable Energy andLancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority(LCSWMA), the Frey Farm Wind Turbine project includes two wind turbines that will generate about 25 percent of Turkey Hill Dairy’s annual electricity needs, officials said. That equals enough power to produce six million gallons of ice cream and 15 million gallons of iced tea each year.
February 2011 marked the first full month the wind turbines were online and producing power. Officials said they generated more than 769,677 kilowatt hours of electricity and provided 32 percent of the dairy’s electricity needs for the month.
“We are so excited by our new use of wind power and all the opportunities that reduce our environmental footprint,” said Turkey Hill Dairy President Quintin Frey. “Our support for renewable energy stems from our strong commitment to a sustainable future in Lancaster County and all of the communities we serve across the United States.”
Hilmar Cheese Co., Hilmar, Calif., said it plans to build a 53,000-square-foot administration building and two renewable energy projects near its massive Lander Avenue plant. Officials said a solar electricity system, planned for space next to the new office building, would trim Hilmar's consumption of utility power. Hilmar said it also plans another system to produce gas from organic matter in waste water -- and reduce natural gas purchases.
