Energy Management

It takes a lot of energy to power the kind of innovation that goes into our high-quality products, so we know it needs to be monitored and managed well. Therefore, we focus on generating energy as sustainably and using it as responsibly as possible.

We continue to make progress in the energy management of our operations in alignment with our Net Zero scopes 1 and 2 emissions target and as part of our WCM production system. The Energy pillar within WCM sets forth our aim to reduce energy costs, improve energy efficiency and drive CO2 reductions. In 2023, we continued investing in projects that increased our use of renewable energy and reduced our reliance on nonrenewable sources, resulting in further decreases in our emissions intensity and our total energy use over time.

Harnessing the Power of the Wind

The primary source of green power we are investing in and using is wind. In 2023, we were excited to attend the ribbon cutting for the official opening of the Engie Limestone Wind farm in Dawson, Texas, with 53MW of clean energy produced from 88 turbines. Engie Limestone represents our second virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) site. When fully operational, the two VPPAs are expected to generate sufficient renewable energy to cover 100% of Whirlpool Corporation’s U.S. sites’ electrical consumption. This year, we also entered into agreements with One Energy to add on-site wind and solar power in our Findlay and Clyde, Ohio, operations. When combined with existing turbines, these projects are expected to supply at least 70% of the plants’ energy needs. The solar and wind projects are expected to be online and operational by early 2025.

We also continue to make progress in our other regions. We continue to increase solar energy production and use in India, currently accounting for over 25% of energy use, and have installed a small solar farm in Brazil. During 2023 in Mexico, we expanded our purchase of renewable energy credits to match our energy usage in Apodaca and Celaya, around 30% of the energy use in Ramos and 85% in our Factory Distribution Center warehouse. In Brazil, we’ve purchased renewable energy credits since 2022 to match the energy use of our sites in Rio Claro, Manaus and W House in São Paulo. We will continue to expand to other sites in 2024 and beyond. We are also investing in a decarbonized future in collaboration with the Michigan Technology Accelerator, which will help match us with startups willing to engage in the decarbonization of our sites.

Whirlpool signed two VPPAs, that, when fully operational, are expected to cover 100% of the electricity consumed by nine Whirlpool Corporation U.S. plants.