DOE, NAM team up to raise industrial energy efficiency

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman on October 12 expanded the DOE’s work to maximize energy efficiency by increasing cooperation among U.S. industry and energy efficiency experts, through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

Specifically, this MOU includes a variety of activities, which aim to assist manufacturing facilities in implementing an energy management program; adopt clean, efficient technologies; and achieve continual energy efficiency and intensity reduction improvements. Through this partnership, DOE seeks to advance President Bush’s Twenty in Ten Initiative, which promotes greater energy security through increased efficiency and diversification of clean energy sources.

“Increasing energy efficiency is not only good practice, but it can also be good business,” Secretary Bodman said. “Today’s agreement between DOE and NAM represents a significant commitment between government and the private sector to help curb our nation’s energy use and enhance energy security while also reducing emissions.”

Secretary Bodman joined NAM president John Engler in Washington to sign the MOU. The MOU states that DOE and NAM agree to share their specific expertise to create a consolidated catalog of tools and technologies, as well as a website for access to tools and services. DOE and NAM seek to provide companies with streamlined access to the tools and technologies, such as technical assistance, a consolidated user-friendly library of tools, and a roadmap necessary to implement an effective energy management program that will allow for increased commercial deployment of clean, efficient technologies.

“Entering into this partnership with DOE to increase energy efficiency builds on the unique strength of American manufacturers as the world’s leaders in energy efficiency and conservation,” Engler said. “Energy efficiency is an important contributor to our future energy security. Building upon manufacturers’ leadership in this area doesn’t just make energy and economic sense, but common sense.”

DOE offers a wide range of respected tools, training, and other resources that enable manufacturers to identify opportunities for energy savings. If the U.S. industrial sector were to reduce energy intensity by 25 percent in ten years, the U.S. could save 8.4 quadrillions of energy, an amount equal to heating every U.S. household for one year. As part of DOE’s “Save Energy Now” campaign, energy experts using DOE software identified nearly $500 million in potential energy saving at 200 of the most energy-intensive manufacturing plants in the U.S. in 2006. Building on this success, DOE welcomes the partnership with NAM, which represents 11,000 large and small manufacturers in every industrial sector, representing over 200,000 facilities throughout the U.S.

For tips on lowering the energy intensity of manufacturing facilities, visit the Energy Savers Web site (http://www.energysavers.gov/) or call DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Hotline at 877-337-3463. For more information, view the MOU between DOE and NAM (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/pdfs/doe_nam_mou.pdf).

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