3.13.2008 - 01:30pm ET

(CSRwire) RACINE, WI - March 13, 2008 – The slow and steady churn of giant windmills at the Harvest Wind Farm in Michigan will help SC Johnson power 46 percent of its second largest North American manufacturing plant in Bay City, Mich. This initiative alone helps the company keep 29,500 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere annually. The energy saved is comparable to the energy needed to supply 1,800 average homes a year, and the CO2 reduction is equivalent to taking almost 3,000 cars off of the road annually.

SC Johnson is one of the first manufacturers in Michigan to use wind power, striking a five-year deal with Spartan Renewable Energy that will provide approximately 31.5 million kilowatt hours annually, which is the maximum capacity that Spartan is able to provide. This is enough energy to power 46 percent of the company’s Bay City operations.

"In addition to helping accomplish our global renewable energy goal, this initiative further reduces the company’s reliance on coal-fired electricity," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "As a family company, we’re committed to exploring innovative technologies that hold the promise of cleaner, more efficient energy. This is a great step for SC Johnson, and for the future generations that will be affected by the environmental choices all of us make today."

The addition of this renewable energy source enables SC Johnson to achieve two more of its 2011 environmental goals: achieving an eight percent absolute reduction in GHG emissions in the US between 2005 and 2011; and achieving a 12 percent absolute reduction in GHG emissions between 2000 and 2012 at all worldwide factories.

The Bay City wind power project follows SC Johnson's successful efforts to slash coal-fired energy dependence at the company's largest global manufacturing plant – Waxdale, located in Racine, Wis. In 2003, SC Johnson installed a cogeneration turbine that provided Waxdale with energy using methane piped in from a local public landfill. The company added a second turbine in 2005, which is powered primarily by natural gas. The twin turbines meet the average daily base-load electrical demand of the facility.

Legacy of Environmental Leadership

For 122 years, SC Johnson has held steadfast to its environmental commitment and spirit of innovation. From being one of the first consumer products manufacturers to join the EPA's Climate Leaders program in 2002 to its leadership as the first company to remove chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from all aerosol products – three years ahead of the 1978 U.S. mandate, SC Johnson continues to look for innovative ways to safeguard our shared environment. In 2001, SC Johnson devised the Greenlist(TM) process, a patented raw material rating system, to transform the way the company measures, tracks and advances its products to further the company’s longstanding commitment to environmentally responsible products. Through the Greenlist(TM) process, SC Johnson continues to lead the way with responsible raw material choices.

People interested in learning more about SC Johnson's legacy of environmental stewardship can visit the company's new environment section of its corporate Web site at www.scjohnson.com The site highlights SC Johnson's key initiatives, provides in-depth discussions of topics with worldwide environmental impact, offers videos and interactive games and identifies ways consumers can lighten their environmental footprint and strengthen their own communities. Also, available for download on the site is SC Johnson's 2007 Public Report.

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