U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) aimed at assisting manufacturing facilities in:
- implementing energy management programs;
- adopting clean, efficient technologies; and
- achieving continual energy efficiency and intensity reduction improvements.
Through this partnership, DOE seeks to advance the Twenty in Ten Initiative, which promotes greater energy security through increased efficiency and diversification of clean energy sources.
Secretary Bodman joined Governor John Engler, President of NAM, in Washington, to sign the MOU which states that DOE and NAM agree to share their specific expertise to create a consolidated catalog of tools and technologies, as well as a website for access to tools and services. DOE and NAM seek to provide companies with streamlined access to the tools and technologies such as technical assistance, a user-friendly library of tools and an implementation roadmap for an effective energy management program that will allow for further deployment of cleaner, more efficient technologies.
According to DOE numbers, if the U.S. industrial sector were to reduce energy intensity by 25 percent in ten years, the U.S. could save 8.4 quadrillions of energy -- an amount equal to heating every U.S. household for one year.
As part of DOEs "Save Energy Now" campaign, energy experts using DOE software identified nearly $500 million in potential energy saving at 200 of the most energy-intensive manufacturing plants in the U.S. in 2006.
DOE is looking to build on last year's success through the partnership with NAM, which represents 11,000 large and small manufacturers in every industrial sector, reaching over 200,000 facilities throughout the U.S.
For tips on lowering the energy intensity of manufacturing facilities, visit the Energy Savers Web site at http://www.energysavers.gov/ or call DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Hotline at 1-877-337-3463.
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