Frito-Lay's Killingly Plant 'Gets Off the Grid'

 Wednesday marked one of the biggest days in the 30-year history of Frito-Lay's Killingly, Conn., manufacturing plant, as employees there welcomed governmental officials and company executives to celebrate the launch of the site’s new co-generation (Co-Gen) electric system with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Co-Gen system takes the plant almost 100 percent off the congested Northeastern electrical grid.  It uses a gas-fired turbine to produce electricity, recycles waste heat from the turbine to produce steam that helps cook our snacks, and reduces greenhouse gases.

Jim Palkovic, Frito-Lay’s Plant Manager in Killingly, told me employees were a bit nervous about the event –- completely understandable considering the influential visitors joining them to celebrate this milestone: Connecticut state officials, a representative from the Department of Energy, many of Frito-Lay’s senior leaders and the media. (Having led a number of high-profile meetings during my career at Frito-Lay, I know that nervous feeling all too well!)

But, the nerves quickly turned to pride as the Killingly employees welcomed the visitors and embraced the opportunity to show-off the site’s new Co-Gen system.  

"We received grants from the State of Connecticut and Department of Energy to help fund the project, and I was glad that representatives from both agencies were able to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony," Jim told me. "We'd never hosted an event at Killingly that was this big, and everything went smoothly, thanks to the hard work of Michael O'Connor, Plant Planning Resource, and a great group of our site’s employees who coordinated the ribbon cutting and plant tour for the leaders.  Three women, who have been product packers at the plant since it opened, told me that this was the most impactful day in each of their careers."

The Killingly project is another example of Frito-Lay's longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint.  I've blogged several times this year about the specific environmental sustainability efforts we’ve put into action, and I look forward to telling you more about what we’re doing to conserve and preserve as we make further progress.

Read more about the Killingly Co-Gen system and view pictures from the ribbon-cutting event.

Comments

[David Crider (retired FLNA)]

This is great news for Frito-Lay. What will the system burn, natural gas? I know some of our systems burn different types of fuel. Peel removal on the potatoes looked very good on the photo's.
Will extra electcity be put into the power grid?

[Kristin]

Thanks for the comment, David. Yes, the new system will burn natural gas. At this time, we don't have plans to add electricity to the power grid. Thanks again!