Seventy manufacturing plants received Energy Star certification for their energy preservation efforts in 2015.
The EPA, which has awarded this certification to 148 plants overall, recognizes those manufacturing facilities that have the top 25 percent of energy performance in their industries for the year.
The 2015 Energy Star plants as a whole slashed their energy bills by $476 million and reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by more than five million metric tons – roughly the average annual energy consumption of 450,500 households.
“Energy Star certified manufacturing plants are driving the kinds of efficiencies and innovations that keep our country strong,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “They’re proving every day that businesses can save on energy, cut down on bills and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions all at the same time.”
The plants achieve these results by using corporate energy management programs and energy efficiency projects, among other ways. Since the program began, Energy Star facilities overall have conserved enough energy to power about 3.5 million homes in the U.S.
The 2015 class of Energy Star plants represented the automotive, cement manufacturing, corn refining, food processing, glass manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and petroleum refining industries.
Among those, nine plants earned the certification for the first time:
- Actavis: Fajardo, Puerto Rico (pharmaceutical manufacturing)
- Actavis: Manati, Puerto Rico (pharmaceutical manufacturing)
- Allergan: Cincinnati, Ohio (pharmaceutical manufacturing)
- Ardagh Group: Bridgeton, N.J. (container glass)
- Ardagh Group: Winchester, Ind. (container glass)
- ConAgra Foods: Boardman, Ore. (frozen fried potato processing)
- ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston: Twin Falls, Idaho (frozen fried potato processing)
- Argos USA: Newberry, Fla. (cement)
- Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas: Lafayette, Ind. (corn refining)