3 Potato Processing Plants Earn Energy Star for Efficiency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is recognizing the first three frozen fried potato processing plants ─ J.R. Simplot Company's Aberdeen, Idaho and Othello, Wash., plants and ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston Inc.'s Quincy, Wash., plant ─ to earn the Energy Star for superior energy performance.
These plants perform in the top 25 percent for energy efficiency nationwide and, on average, use nearly 20 percent less energy when compared to similar plants across the country. Together, these plants annually save more than $10 million and prevent nearly 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is equal to the emissions from the yearly electricity use of 5,000 homes.
The food processing industry is an essential domestic industry that provides more than 1 million jobs annually. Announced in October 2009, EPA’s Energy Star
Energy Performance Indicators for food processing have become important tools in helping improve the energy efficiency of the industry, which spends nearly $7 billion on energy each year. Energy Star Energy Performance Indicators allow companies to measure their energy performance against others in the industry, while achieving breakthrough improvements in energy efficiency.