Bridgestone Americas was among 32 major U.S. manufacturers that have signed on to a new program to decrease industrial energy usage and pollution.
The new Department of Energy’s voluntary Save Energy Now LEADER Program will provide technical assistance and resources to companies that pledge significant improvements in industrial energy efficiency – a 25% reduction over the next decade.
“These companies’ commitments to energy efficiency not only generate significant energy and carbon savings, but also show the entire business community the profitable steps that can be taken to move us all toward a clean energy future,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “Working together with American manufacturers, we will leverage the potential of energy efficiency to create new jobs, make our economy more competitive, and reduce carbon pollution.”
The LEADER program is a new component of the Save Energy Now initiative through which companies partner with DOE to conduct energy audits and assessments to identify the opportunities for energy and cost savings in the companies’ operations. Participating businesses also have access to tools and training to help reduce their energy use and lower operating costs.
More than 2,000 production plants received energy assessments through Save Energy Now from 2006 to 2009, identifying $1.3 billion in cost savings, 119 trillion Btu of natural gas savings, and 11.2 million metric tons of CO2 savings.
Among the other automotive market companies joining Bridgestone Americas were 3M, Dow Chemical Co., PPG Industries and Volvo Trucks.
