LENEXA, KAN. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized 103 U.S. manufacturing plants, including four in Region 7 states, that earned the Agency’s ENERGY STAR certification in 2023, a designation reserved for manufacturing plants in the top 25% of energy efficiency in their sector.
Together, these plants prevented more than 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the emissions from the electricity use of over 1.5 million American homes.
“President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is breathing new life into energy-efficient domestic manufacturing, and industry partners like those recognized today are leading the way,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These ENERGY STAR-certified plants demonstrate that cutting the embodied carbon of our industrial products through energy efficiency doesn’t just make environmental sense, it makes economic sense.”
The industrial sector accounts for 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from energy use in manufacturing plants.
Four Region 7 manufacturing plants earned the ENERGY STAR certification in 2023, including one that appears on the list for the first time.
Iowa:
Iowa Fertilizer Company LLC in Wever (nitrogenous fertilizer)
Kansas:
CHS Inc in McPherson (petroleum refining) – This is CHS Inc’s first time appearing on the ENERGY STAR certified plants list.
Missouri:
Buzzi Unicem USA in Festus (cement manufacturing)
Nebraska:
Koch Fertilizer in Beatrice (nitrogenous fertilizer)
ENERGY STAR-certified plants reduced their energy use through a variety of energy efficiency projects and management practices.
For example:
Koch Fertilizer’s Beatrice, Nebraska, fertilizer plant reduced steam use and the number of continuously running pumps, while the Enid, Oklahoma, plant improved steam utilization and implemented advanced process controls.
Ardagh’s Houston container glass facility operated a highly efficient furnace, used recycled glass, and installed energy-efficient lighting fixtures, among other initiatives.
Bimbo Bakeries USA installed advanced controls and high-efficiency burners in ovens, oxidizers, and boilers and expanded investments in metering systems, enabling real-time monitoring and control of energy usage.
Ash Grove’s Seattle cement plant saved energy by increasing the amount of limestone in its Portland Limestone cement, thereby reducing the energy needed for clinker production, and improving equipment automation.
GCC’s Rapid City, South Dakota, cement plant upgraded its preheater and improved kiln combustion efficiency. This plant and GCC’s Pueblo, Colorado, cement plant integrated alternative fuels, lowering carbon dioxide emissions while maintaining high levels of energy efficiency.
J.R. Simplot Company’s Helm, California, nitrogenous fertilizer plant commissioned an on-site, one-megawatt solar photovoltaic project, reducing source energy consumption and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions.
Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s Anacortes, Washington, refinery reduced steam trap failures by over 20% by equipping operators with handheld trap-testing devices to instantly identify leaks. The St. Paul Park, Minnesota, refinery completed a three-year effort to reinforce insulation across the entire site, cutting carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by nearly 16,000 metric tons per year.
Nissan North America Inc. replaced over 20,000 light fixtures with LEDs across all U.S. manufacturing sites and conducted a combination of energy treasure hunts and third-party assessments targeting energy efficiency.
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 at least 75 out of 100 – 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 21 manufacturing sectors from cement and steel to glass and commercial bakeries. More than 270 plants have achieved ENERGY STAR certification since 2006.
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 EPA to deliver cost-saving, energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses avoid over $500 billion in energy costs and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions.