April 27, 2007—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a report on energy use trends in major manufacturing sectors that highlights the environmental implications of energy use. The report concludes with a general overview of the barriers to energy efficiency and use of clean fuel technologies, and offers some possible policy options for government to help address these barriers.
The 12 sectors analyzed are aluminum, cement, chemical manufacturing, food manufacturing, forest products, iron and steel, metal casting, metal finishing, motor vehicle manufacturing, motor vehicle parts manufacturing, petroleum refining, and shipbuilding.
The sectors in the report account for about 85 percent of all US industrial energy use. Under a business-as-usual scenario, energy consumption across many of these sectors will increase by 20 percent from 2004 levels by 2020, and carbon dioxide emissions will increase by 14 percent, according to the report.
The report shows how each sector could improve environmental performance by becoming more energy efficient or by using clean fuel technologies. It also identifies five strategies that could be used to achieve these goals: 1) switching to cleaner fuels, 2) using combined heat and power (CHP), 3) retrofitting or replacing older equipment, 4) making process improvements, and 5) investing in research and development.
Based on the insights from this report, EPA reports it will now work with the industry partners to explore the best ways to improve energy and environmental outcomes in each sector.
For more information on the 2007 Sector Strategies Energy Report or the Sector Strategies Program, visit EPA.
