EPA Announces Most Energy-Efficient Manufacturing Plants in Kentucky
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
FRANKFORT, KY. (Feb. 28, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that two U.S. manufacturing plants earned the agency’s 2022 ENERGY STAR certification in Kentucky, a designation reserved for manufacturing plants in the top 25% of energy efficiency in their sector. Nationwide, 86 U.S. manufacturing plants earned the agency’s ENERGY STAR certification in 2022. Together, these plants saved over 105 trillion British thermal units (Btus) of energy and prevented more than 6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the emissions from the electricity use of more than 1.1 million American homes.
“Industrial leadership in energy efficiency is critical to achieving our nation’s climate goals,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The savings from ENERGY STAR certified plants demonstrate how energy efficiency is both helping our manufacturing sector reduce costs and propelling America’s transition to a clean energy future.”
“We congratulate our Region 4 manufacturing plants that earned their 2022 ENERGY STAR certification,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “Their innovation and leadership enhance America’s economic competitiveness, reducing costly energy waste improves public health while protecting the environment.”
The industrial sector accounts for 30% of U.S. greenhouse emissions, primarily from energy use in manufacturing plants. ENERGY STAR certified plants have reduced their energy consumption through a variety of energy efficiency projects and management practices. For example:
- Primient’s Loudon, Tenn., and Lafayette, Ind., wet corn mills reduced their CO2e emissions by installing and optimizing combined heat and power systems.
- Nissan North America’s Canton, Miss., vehicle assembly plant formed a team to track compressed air leaks, leading to an annual reduction of approximately 1,700 cubic feet per minute of compressed air. The company’s Decherd, Tenn., powertrain assembly plant created scorecards to benchmark the shutdown performance of facilities, assigned countermeasures to shops not meeting targets, and provided recognition to top performers.
- Cemex’s Miami, Fla., cement plant increased its energy performance in 2022 by modifying a finish mill, optimizing the ball charge on the largest mill, and identifying and correcting potential energy losses while also increasing the production of Portland Limestone (Type IL) cement.
- Titan America’s Troutville, Va., and Medley, Fla., cement plants have completely converted production to Portland Limestone (Type IL) cement, with up to 15% less embodied carbon than standard Portland Cement. Since 2015 the two plants also have achieved a 12% reduction in electricity use and an 18% reduction in CO2, respectively, from improved energy management.
Manufacturing plants use EPA’s ENERGY STAR energy performance indicators or, in the case of petroleum refineries, the Solomon Associates Energy Intensity Index scoring system to assess their energy performance. Plants that score a 75 out of 100 or higher—indicating that they are more energy efficient than 75% of similar facilities nationwide—are eligible to earn ENERGY STAR certification. ENERGY STAR certification is available for 20 manufacturing sectors, from cement and steel to glass and commercial bakeries.
2022 ENERGY STAR certified manufacturing plants in Region 4:
Alabama:
Georgia-Pacific, Brewton (integrated paper mill)
Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Lincoln (automobile engine)
Tuscaloosa Organic Baking Co (commercial bread and roll baking)
Florida:
CEMEX USA, Miami (cement manufacturing)
Titan America, Medley (cement manufacturing)
Georgia:
Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Tallapoosa (automobile transmission)
Kentucky:
Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., London (commercial bread and roll baking)
TreeHouse Foods, Inc., Princeton (cookie & cracker baking)
Mississippi:
Nissan North America, Canton (automobile assembly)
North Carolina:
Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Gastonia (commercial bread and roll baking)
South Carolina:
Argos USA, Harleyville (cement manufacturing)
Tennessee:
Buzzi Unicem USA, Chattanooga (cement manufacturing)
Crown Bakeries, Nashville (commercial bread and roll baking)
Crown Bakeries, Dickson (commercial bread and roll baking)
Nissan North America, Decherd (automobile engine)
Primient, Loudon (corn refining)
About the ENERGY STAR Industrial Program
Since 2006, the ENERGY STAR Industrial Program has annually certified manufacturing plants for performing within the top 25% of energy performance in their industries nationwide. ENERGY STAR certification is available for 20 manufacturing sectors. More than 250 plants have achieved this distinction since 2006. For more information, see: ENERGY STAR plant certification. For a list of all certified plants, see: ENERGY STAR Certified Building and Plant Locator. To learn more about how EPA and industry work together, see: Industrial Energy Management.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations — including nearly 40% of the Fortune 500® — rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found at www.energystar.gov/impacts.
Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-most-energy-efficient-manufacturing-plants-kentucky
