Last week, the EPA recognized the 103 U.S. factories to earn Energy Star certification in 2023. The award recognizes manufacturing plants in the top 25% of energy efficiency in their sector.
According to the EPA, these plants prevented more than 8 million metric tons of CO2 emissions—that's the equivalent to the emissions from electricity used by more than 1.5 million homes.
The industrial sector accounts for some 30% of U.S. greenhouse emissions, mainly from energy use in manufacturing plants. Texas had the highest number of efficient plants in 2023 with 11 recognized by the EPA. Kentucky had the most first-time award winners with five.
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The top plants of 2023 have reduced energy use through various efficiency projects. Here's a look at the top performers:
- Ash Grove's in Seattle, Washington, is a cement plant that saved energy by increasing the amount of limestone in its Portland Limestone cement, which reduced energy needed for clinker production and improved equipment automation.
- Bimbo Bakeries USA installed advanced controls and high-efficiency burners in ovens, oxidizers and boilers and invested in metering systems that enable real-time monitoring and energy control.
- GCC's in Rapid City, South Dakota, is a cement plant that upgraded its preheater and improved kiln combustion efficiency. This plant and GCC's factory in Pueblo, Colorado also integrated alternative fuels.
- J.R. Simplot Company's Helm, California plant makes nitrogenous fertilizer. The company commissioned an on-site, one-megawatt solar photovoltaic project.
- Koch Fertilizer's plant in Beatrice, Nebraska, reduced steam use and the number of continuously running pumps, while a plant in Enid, Oklahoma, improved steam use and added advanced process controls.
- Marathon Petroleum's refinery in Anacortes, Washington, reduced steam trap failures by more than 20% by giving operators handheld trap-testing devices to instantly identify leaks. A refinery in St. Paul Park, Minnesota, also completed a three-year effort to reinforce insulation across the site, which will cut emissions by 16,000 metric tons per year.
- Finally, Nissan North America replaced more than 20,000 light fixtures with LEDs across all U.S. manufacturing sites.
Manufacturing plants use the EPA's Energy Star energy performance indicators to assess energy performance. Petroleum refineries use the Solomon Associates Energy Intensity Index scoring system,
Plants that score at least 75 out of 100, which says they're more energy efficient than 75% of similar facilities, can earn Energy Star certification. More than 270 plants have achieved this certification since 2006.
In a statement, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said these plants demonstrate that cutting carbon doesn't just make environmental sense, but 'it makes economic sense."
A full state-by-state breakdown of all Energy Star-certified manufacturing plants in 2023 is listed below, including a few first timers.
Alabama:
- Georgia-Pacific Brewton Containerboard (integrated paper mill)
- Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Lincoln (automobile engine)
- First Time: Hunt Refining Company, Tuscaloosa (petroleum refining)
- Tuscaloosa Organic Baking Co. (commercial bread and roll baking)
Arkansas:
- Flowers Baking Co. of Batesville (commercial bread and roll baking)
Arizona:
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Phoenix (commercial bread and roll baking)
- First Time: Bristol Myers Squibb, Phoenix (pharmaceutical)
- CalPortland Company, Rillito (cement manufacturing)
- Drake Cement, Paulden (cement manufacturing)
- Holsum Bakery of Tolleson (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Mesa Organic Baking Co., Mesa (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Salt River Materials Group, Clarkdale (cement manufacturing)
California:
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Escondido (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., San Luis Obispo (commercial bread and roll baking)
- CalPortland Company, Redding (cement manufacturing)
- J.R. Simplot Company, Helm (nitrogenous fertilizer)
Colorado:
- First Time: Canyon Bakehouse, Johnstown (commercial bread and roll baking)
- GCC, Pueblo (cement manufacturing)
- Rocky Mountain Bottle Company, Wheat Ridge (container glass manufacturing)
Delaware:
- AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Newark (pharmaceutical)
Florida:
- Titan America LLC, Medley (cement manufacturing)
Georgia:
- Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Tallapoosa (automobile transmission)
- First Time: Flowers Bakery of Suwanee (commercial bread and roll baking)
Iowa:
- Iowa Fertilizer Company, LLC, Wever (nitrogenous fertilizer)
Illinois:
- ExxonMobil Joliet Refinery, Channahon (petroleum refining)
- Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Robinson (petroleum refining)
- TreeHouse Foods, Inc., South Beloit (cookie & cracker baking)
Indiana:
First Time: CountryMark Refining & Logistics, Mount Vernon (petroleum refining)
General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly (automobile assembly)
Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Greensburg (automobile assembly)
Kansas:
- First Time: CHS Inc, McPherson (petroleum refining)
Kentucky:
- First Time: Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery, Bardstown (distilling)
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., London (commercial bread and roll baking)
- First Time: Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery, Louisville (distilling)
- First Time: MGP/Luxco Distillery, Bardstown (distilling)
- First Time: Heaven’s Door Distillery, LLC, Pleasureville (distilling)
- First Time: Rabbit Hole Distillery, Louisville (distilling)
- TreeHouse Foods, Inc., Princeton (cookie & cracker baking)
Louisiana:
- ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery (petroleum refining)
- Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Garyville (petroleum refining)
Massachusetts:
- First Time: Bristol Myers Squibb, Devens (pharmaceutical)
Maine:
- Lepage Bakeries Park Street, Lewiston (commercial bread and roll baking)
Michigan:
- AbbVie, Wyandotte (pharmaceutical)
- General Motors Flint Assembly (automobile assembly)
Minnesota:
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Fergus Falls (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Flint Hills Resources, Pine Bend (petroleum refining)
- Lamb Weston/RDO Frozen, Park Rapids (frozen fried potato processing)
- Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Saint Paul Park (petroleum refining)
Missouri:
- Buzzi Unicem USA, Festus (cement manufacturing)
Mississippi:
- Georgia-Pacific, New Augusta (pulp mill)
- Nissan North America, Canton (automobile assembly)
Nebraska:
- Koch Fertilizer, Beatrice (nitrogenous fertilizer)
New Jersey:
- AbbVie, Branchburg (pharmaceutical)
North Carolina:
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Gastonia (commercial bread and roll baking)
Nevada:
- Flowers Baking Co. of Henderson (commercial bread and roll baking)
New York:
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Auburn (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Olean (commercial bread and roll baking)
- TreeHouse Foods, Inc., Tonawanda (cookie & cracker baking)
Ohio:
- Bimbo QSR Ohio, Airport, Zanesville (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Bimbo QSR Ohio, Eastpointe, Zanesville (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Anna (automobile engine)
- Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, East Liberty (automobile assembly)
- Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Marysville (automobile assembly)
- Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Russells Point (automobile transmission)
- Klosterman Baking Company, Springboro (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Klosterman Baking Company, Cincinnati (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Canton (petroleum refining)
Oklahoma:
- Koch Fertilizer, Enid (nitrogenous fertilizer)
Pennsylvania:
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Reading (commercial bread and roll baking)
Puerto Rico:
- First Time: AbbVie, Barceloneta (pharmaceutical)
- Merck & Co., Inc., Las Piedras (pharmaceutical)
South Dakota:
- GCC, Rapid City (cement manufacturing)
Tennessee:
- First Time: Brown Forman’s Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow Prop., Inc., Lynchburg (distilling)
- Buzzi Unicem USA, Chattanooga (cement manufacturing)
- Crown Bakeries, Nashville (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Crown Bakeries, Dickson (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Nissan North America, Decherd (automobile engine)
- Nissan North America, Smyrna (automobile assembly)
- Primient, Loudon (corn refining)
Texas:
- AbbVie, Waco (pharmaceutical)
- First Time: Ardagh Glass Inc., Houston (container glass manufacturing)
- Barcel USA, Coppell (cookie & cracker baking)
- CITGO Petroleum Corp., Corpus Christi (petroleum refining)
- ExxonMobil Beaumont Complex (petroleum refining)
- Flowers Baking Co. of Houston (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Flowers Baking Co. of Tyler (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Flowers Baking Co. of El Paso (commercial bread and roll baking)
- First Time: Heaven Hill’s Deep Eddy Vodka Distillery, Buda (distilling)
- First Time: Leeland Baking Co., Houston (commercial bread and roll baking)
- First Time: PEMEX, Deer Park (petroleum refinery)
Utah:
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Salt Lake City (commercial bread and roll baking)
- TreeHouse Foods, Inc., Odgen (cookie and cracker baking)
Virginia:
- Lynchburg Organic Baking Co. (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Roanoke Cement Company LLC, a subsidiary of Titan America LLC, Troutville (cement manufacturing)
Washington:
- Ash Grove Cement, Seattle (cement manufacturing)
- Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Anacortes (petroleum refining)
- First Time: Par Pacific, Tacoma (petroleum refining)
- First Time: Westland Whiskey Distillery, South Seattle (distilling)
Wisconsin:
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., Oconomowoc (commercial bread and roll baking)
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., La Crosse (commercial bread and roll baking)
Wyoming:
- J.R. Simplot Company, Rock Springs (nitrogenous fertilizer)
- First Time: Par Pacific, Newcastle (petroleum refining)
