The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that 70 manufacturing plants have achieved Energy Star certification for their superior energy performance in 2014.
The 70 plants saved a record amount of energy, cut their energy bills by $725 million and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 8 million metric tons, which is the equivalent to the annual total energy use of more than 650,000 households.
"Energy Star-certified manufacturing plants are leading their industries by advancing energy efficiency and making cost-saving improvements while combating climate change," said EPA administrator Gina McCarthy. "Through their work with EPA, the 2014 Energy Star manufacturing plants are demonstrating that making sustainability and energy-efficiency improvements is a smart business decision."
Energy Star-certified plants are independently verified on an annual basis to have reached the top 25 percent of energy performance for their industries nationwide. Among these are plants from the auto assembly, cement manufacturing, corn refining, food processing, glass manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and petroleum refining industries.
Seven plants were certified for the first time: ConAgra Foods' frozen fried potato processing plant in American Falls, Idaho; ConAgra Foods' cookie and cracker baking plant in Ogden, Utah; Essroc Cement Corp.'s cement manufacturing plant in Martinsburg, West Virginia; Essroc Cement Corp.'s cement manufacturing plant in Nazareth, Pennsylvania; Lehigh Cement's cement manufacturing plant in Glen Falls, New York; Lehigh Cement's cement manufacturing plant in Leeds, Alabama; and Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Illinois Refining Division petroleum refinery.
Since the inception of EPA's Energy Star certification, a total of 139 manufacturing plants have achieved this distinction. These plants have saved more than 530 trillion British thermal units in energy, which is equal to preventing more than 36 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and saving enough energy to provide the total yearly energy needs of approximately 3 million American households.
EPA provides industry-specific Energy Star plant benchmarking tools to help industry measure energy performance. These are available or under development for more than 20 manufacturing sectors. Energy Star benchmarks enable companies to compare a plant's energy performance against those of its industry and empower manufacturers to set informed improvement goals.
Alabama
Lehigh Cement Leeds (Cement)*
Arizona
CalPortland Rillito (Cement)
Salt River Materials Group Clarkdale (Cement)
California
Ardagh Group Madera (Container Glass)
CEMEX Victorville (Cement)
Lehigh Cement Redding (Cement)
Florida
CEMEX Brooksville South (Cement)
CEMEX Miami (Cement)
Titan Pennsuco Cement Co. (Cement)
Georgia
CEMEX Clinchfield (Cement)
Kellogg Company Augusta (Cookie & Cracker)
Kellogg Company Columbus (Cookie & Cracker)
Idaho
ConAgra Foods American Falls (FF Potato)*
Illinois
ConAgra Foods South Beloit (Cookie & Cracker)
Marathon Illinois Refining Division (Refinery)*
Oak State Products Wenona (Cookie & Cracker)
Indiana
Ardagh Group Dunkirk (Container Glass)
Honda Manufacturing of Indiana (Auto)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana – West (Auto)
Kentucky
CEMEX Kosmos Louisville (Cement)
Kellogg Company Florence (Cookie & Cracker)
Kellogg Company Louisville (Cookie & Cracker)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky – Plant 1 (Auto)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky – Plant 2 (Auto)
Louisiana
Marathon Louisiana Refining Division (Refinery)
Massachusetts
Ardagh Group Milford (Container Glass)
Maryland
Lehigh Cement Union Bridge (Cement)
Minnesota
ConAgra Foods Park Rapids (FF Potato)
Faribault Foods Beverage Division (Juice)
Mississippi
Nissan NA Canton (Auto)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi (Auto)
Missouri
Continental Cement Hannibal (Cement)*
Holcim St. Genevieve (Cement)
Buzzi Unicem River Cement (Festus) (Cement)
Nebraska
Merck Intervet Inc. Elkhorn (Pharma)
New York
ConAgra Foods Tonawanda (Cookie & Cracker)
Lehigh Cement Glen Falls (Cement)*
North Carolina
Kellogg Company Cary (Cookie & Cracker)
Ohio
CEMEX Fairborn (Cement)
Honda of America Manufacturing East Liberty (Auto)
Honda of America Manufacturing Marysville (Auto)
Kellogg Company Cincinnati (Cookie & Cracker)
Marathon Ohio Refining Division (Refinery)
Oklahoma
Ardagh Group Sapulpa (Container Glass)
Pennsylvania
Essroc Cement Corp. Nazareth (Cement)
Puerto Rico
Merck Las Piedras (Pharma)
Merck MMD Arecibo (Pharma)
South Carolina
Holcim Holly Hill (Cement)
Tennessee
Buzzi Unicem Signal Mountain (Chattanooga) (Cement)
Merck Cleveland (Pharma)
Nissan NA Smyrna (Auto)
Texas
Allergan Pharmaceuticals Waco (Pharma)
Buzzi Unicem Alamo Cement (Cement)
Buzzi Unicem Maryneal (Cement)
Buzzi Unicem Pryor (Cement)
Holcim (Texas) Midlothian (Cement)
Martin Marietta TXI Operations Midlothian (Cement)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (Auto)
Utah
ConAgra Foods Ogden (Cookie & Cracker)*
Holcim Devil's Slide (Cement)
Virginia
Titan Roanoke Cement Company (Cement)
Washington
ConAgra Foods Quincy (FF Potato)
ConAgra Foods Richland (FF Potato)
ConAgra Foods Warden (FF Potato)
JR Simplot Othello (FF Potato)
JR Simplot Moses Lake (FF Potato)
Phillips 66 Company Ferndale (Refinery)
West Virginia
Essroc Cement Corp. Martinsburg (Cement)*
Wisconsin
Ardagh Group Burlington (Container Glass)
ConAgra Foods Ripon (Cookie & Cracker)
*Represents first time certification
For more information, visit www.energystar.gov.