WASHINGTON , D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that, starting today, a three-day industrial Energy Saving Assessment will take place at the Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak) facility in Rochester, New York, as part of the comprehensive national energy efficiency effort undertaken by the Bush Administration.  Through no-cost assessments, DOE is working with major manufacturing facilities to identify energy- and money-saving opportunities, primarily by focusing on steam and process heating systems.

 

“President Bush has called on all Americans to be more energy efficient.  Private industry is joining the federal government in taking a leading role in this effort,” Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said.  “DOE’s Energy Saving Teams will play a key role in assessing and recommending energy efficiency strategies for some of the largest industrial facilities across the nation.”

 

Kodak’s Rochester, NY, site is the largest photographic product manufacturing facility in the world and the largest industrial complex in the northeast United States.  Over the last three years, Kodak has worked to reduce energy usage by 12 percent at this facility.  Last year, Kodak was named recipient of the “Energy Star® Sustained Excellence Award” after having earned the “Partner of the Year Award” in prior years.  Energy Star® is a program jointly sponsored by DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency that helps businesses create energy-efficient products, use energy efficiently and protect the environment.

 

DOE’s Energy Saving Teams have completed visits to 33 large federal facilities and are in the process of visiting 200 of the most energy-intensive manufacturing facilities in the United States.

 

The first 22 ESAs have identified, in aggregate, more than $78 million per year in potential energy cost savings and could reduce natural gas consumption by more than nine trillion Btu per year, equivalent to the natural gas consumed annually by more than 125,000 homes.

 

Companies interested in a free energy assessment can get more details at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/ and request brochures detailing “Fifteen Tips to Help Your Plant Save Energy.” 

 

For tips on easy, inexpensive steps consumers can take to lower their energy bills this winter, please visit  http://www.energysavers.gov/ or call DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Hotline at 1-877-337-3463.