An ongoing energy efficiency drive by Eastman Chemical Co. resulted in $11.6 million of energy savings in 2011 and cut 357 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2010, according to an article in IndustryWeek.com.
The program has its roots in 2010 when Eastman, a producer of chemicals, fibers and plastics, introduced a number of environmental goals, chief of which calls for the chemical company to reduce its energy intensity by 25 percent against a 2008 baseline.
In the same year, the company committed itself to reinvigorating its energy management program. In 2011, the program was awarded an $8 million budget, the web site reports.
Changes to support the program included setting specific expectations for each of the company's manufacturing sites, and changing the organization and reporting structure of the energy management team.
The investment paid dividends. The program has so far saved $7.5 million from repairing steam leaks, created an energy assessment program that has so far identified $650,000 in savings and involved its employees in an the Energy Star "Change the World" program. Eastman won an Energy Star award this week for its commitment to the program.
In November, facilities owned by Eastman were named in leaked EPA watch lists of potential Clean Air Act violators. NPR published the names and locations of 464 facilities on the EPA’s watch lists dated July and September. Other companies featured on the lists include Abbott Labs, Boeing and Ford.
