Houweling Tomatoes win 'Energy Innovator of the Year' Award

Photo, L-R: Utah Energy Advisor Laura Nelson, Casey Houweling, Utah Governor Gary Herbert

Houweling’s Tomatoes was amongst four companies honored this week with Excellence in Energy Awards at the fifth annual Governor’s Utah Energy Development Summit in Salt Lake City. Houweling’s was named “Energy Innovator of the Year” for the Currant Creek Heat and CO2 Recovery Project at the Mona, Utah greenhouse farm.

“Leadership in the energy industry is vital to ensuring that Utah has a bright future,” said Governor Herbert in a news release. “These companies are on the forefront of community impacts, environmental awareness, innovation and collaboration which are critically important efforts in our goal to power our state through responsible development.”

Casey Houweling, CEO was on hand to accept the award from Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Utah Energy Advisor Laura Nelson. “It is incredibly rewarding to be recognized as a leader and innovator for our Mona, UT greenhouse farm. The heat and CO2 capture technology cements the project as a crown jewel of sustainable agriculture, while opening up possibilities in a myriad of industries.”

Houweling’s Tomatoes Logo

Houweling’s Mona, Utah project’s sustainable energy profile, including the heat and CO2 capture from the adjacent Currant Creek power plant, was selected from a crowded field of nominations representing the exciting range of energy work underway in Utah today. After nearly 3 years of visioning, planning and hard work, Houweling’s company vision for the future of sustainable agriculture was realized, when they completed their connection to PacifiCorp’s Currant Creek Power Plant exhaust stacks. By way of computer controlled systems, Houweling’s draws waste exhaust off the side of the stack, diverting it from being released and instead into Houweling’s energy building.

Through a patent pending process, thermal energy is captured and stored for on- demand heat requirements, condensation from this process is captured and used to supplement irrigation water, and the remaining exhaust CO2 is put directly into the greenhouse to promote plant growth.