Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Portland Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
Thirteen of the 95 manufacturing plants earning certification in the 2020 Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star program produce portland cement: Argos USA LLC, Calera, Ala. and Harleyville, S.C.; Ash Grove Cement, Seattle; Buzzi Unicem USA, Festus, Mo. and Chattanooga, Tenn.; CalPortland Co., Rillito, Ariz.; Cemex USA, Miami; Drake Cement, Paulden, Ariz.; GCC of America, Pueblo, Colo. and Rapid City, S.D.; Salt River Materials Group, Clarkdale, Ariz.; and, Titan America LLC, Medley, Fla. and Troutville, Va.
“Since the 1990s, the cement industry has been a leader in addressing sustainability,” notes Portland Cement Association CEO Mike Ireland. “PCA is proud to celebrate the Energy Star certification across these 13 plants, exemplifying our members’ commitment to energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.”
“These forward-looking businesses have demonstrated that economic development and job creation go hand-in-hand with environmental progress,” says EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “The transition to a clean energy economy is happening now, as partnerships like Energy Star encourage companies to go the extra mile, bringing innovation, cost-savings and pollution reductions in return.”
Energy Star certifies plants achieving energy performance in the top 25 percent of their respective industries, the manufacturing category spanning cement and 19 other sectors. Certification candidates use EPA-defined performance indicators to assess how their energy use compares to facilities with similar operating characteristics. Plants with a verified energy performance score of 75 out of 100 or higher are eligible for Energy Star certification.
By strategically managing energy use, the 95 certified manufacturing plants for 2020 saved nearly $400 million on energy bills—equal to the payroll value of over 8,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs. They also avoided the consumption of 80 trillion Btus of energy compared to average plants and prevented over 5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to those from the energy use of nearly 600,000 homes. Since the first industrial facilities received certification 15 years ago, Energy Star plants have logged $6 billion-plus in energy bill savings and prevent over 65 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions.
