Weyerhaeuser recognized for energy savings

Flathead Electric Cooperative has announced Weyerhaeuser as its inaugural Energy Partner of the Year. Weyerhaeuser, which manufactures lumbers and plywood in Kalispell and medium-density fiberboard in Columbia Falls, recently completed the Energy Smart Industrial Strategic Energy Management  program offered through the Co-op and its wholesale power provider, the Bonneville Power Administration.

When Weyerhaeuser began the program, it set a goal to reach 2% in energy savings per year. Through continued participation – and diligent, hard work – Weyerhaeuser more than doubled this goal, achieving 4.24% in energy savings. That equaled 1,381,850 kilowatt hours in year one. Every kilowatt hour Weyerhaeuser saves is one kilowatt-hour that doesn’t need to be generated elsewhere, whether by hydropower, coal, solar, or other generation, the Co-op noted in a release.

As part of its energy efficiency process, Weyerhaeuser’s energy team solicited energy savings ideas from internal team members that led to 47 completed energy projects. Today, the Energy Team meets weekly to discuss current and proposed energy savings items. These regular meetings involve employees across multiple departments and have led to incredible energy and cost savings for Weyerhaeuser, and by extension, all members of Flathead Electric Cooperative.

“Weyerhaeuser has a long-standing relationship with Flathead Electric Cooperative and Bonneville Power Administration and a shared interest in sustainability,” said Kyle Cram, Columbia Falls plant manager for Weyerhaeuser. “We’re honored to receive this recognition and appreciate the employees who implement these energy improvement projects as part of our daily operations. Advancing energy efficiency is essential to our long-term success in Montana, and we continue to explore new ideas to minimize our environmental impact and achieve our ambitious energy efficiency goals.”

Andy Masa, Energy Services Supervisor for the Co-op, noted, “whether we are 450 square foot apartment owners or huge commercial entities, Weyerhaeuser’s savings are an incredible lesson to everyone that energy efforts make a difference. The savings Weyerhaeuser has achieved are the equivalent of one year of the energy use of 187 average homes in our area – this is a big deal, especially on a transmission-constrained system like ours.”

Masa continued, “However, it is important to understand the difference between energy efficiency and energy conservation. When we talk about Weyerhaeuser’s savings, we’re saying they are achieving the same amount of work but using over a million fewer kilowatt hours. This also makes their manufacturing operations more cost-effective and improves their competitive posture in the marketplace.”

Residential members of Flathead Electric Cooperative can learn more about improving energy-saving and/or efficiency efforts via: https://www.flatheadelectric.com/energy-solutions