Cement Industry Dominates Top Performing Energy Star Plants in 2014

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 70 manufacturing plants that have achieved Energy Star certification for their energy performance in 2014. The cement industry made a strong showing for the year.

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. Over the years, 139 plants in total have received certification. An EPA spokesperson clarified: "Not all plants apply each year or pass the requirements of the certification. This is an annual award and each year if a plant seeks certification, it needs to submit an application, pass an environmental screen, and score in the top 25 percent on the industry-specific benchmarking tool."

In 2014, seven plants are certified for the first time:

1. ConAgra Foods’ American Falls, Idaho frozen fried potato processing plant;
2. ConAgra Foods’ Ogden, Utah cookie and cracker baking plant;
3. Essroc Cement Corp.’s Martinsburg, West Virginia cement manufacturing plant;
4. Essroc Cement Corp.’s Nazareth, Pennsylvania cement manufacturing plant;
5. Lehigh Cement’s Glen Falls, New York cement manufacturing plant;
6. Lehigh Cement’s Leeds, Alabama cement manufacturing plant; and
7. 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.

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.

2014 Energy Star Manufacturing Plants by State:

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)

Tenessee:

• 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)

Photo: Cement plant via Shutterstock