2 manufacturing plants in P.R. earn EPA’s ‘Energy Star’ certification
Merck in Las Piedras was one of two local plants earning the EPA distinction.
Avara Pharmaceutical Services in Arecibo and Merck in Las Piedras were two of 93 manufacturing plants that earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification for their superior energy performance in 2017, the government regulator announced.
Together, these plants reduced their energy bills by almost $340 million, saved more than 60 trillion British thermal units (TBtu) of energy, and achieved broad emissions reductions, including 4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the EPA stated.
The energy savings is enough to meet the annual energy needs of almost 360,000 American households.
“Earning Energy Star certification is a real mark of excellence, highlighting companies that are leaders in cutting energy costs and reducing waste,” said EPA assistant administrator for air and radiation Bill Wehrum.
“This program is in direct line with the administration’s priorities to support American manufacturing — greater efficiency fosters industrial development, greater competitiveness, a strong economy, and a healthy environment,” he added.
The Energy Star industrial program provides industry-specific energy benchmarking tools and other resources for 17 different types of manufacturing plants. These resources allow an industrial plant to compare its energy performance to others in the same industry and therefore establish meaningful energy performance goals.
Plants from the automotive, baking, cement, corn refining, food processing, glass manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and petroleum refining sectors are among those that qualified in 2017.
