In a positive step toward improving energy efficiency, Dean Foods Co. has met the requirements for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) "ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry" by reducing its energy intensity by 10 percent or more at 18 manufacturing locations nationwide.
Dean Foods enrolled 72 of its plants in the EPA's ENERGY STAR Challenge. Across the entire dairy industry, 148 dairy plants have taken the challenge, but only seven other non-Dean plants have met the goal so far.
The ENERGY STAR Challenge is a national call-to-action to improve energy efficiency of America's commercial and industrial buildings. The U.S. manufacturing industry is responsible for nearly 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and spends almost $100 billion annually on energy. Under the umbrella of the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry, EPA is working with Dean Foods and other companies to fight climate change through improvements in energy efficiency.
"We are pleased to be part of the ENERGY STAR Challenge and very proud of the work we've done company-wide to help protect the environment by improving our energy performance," said Gregg Tanner, Dean Foods chief executive officer, in a prepared statement. "The recognition we've received from the EPA is a tangible way to demonstrate the progress we're making toward our goals to reduce our environmental impact and operating costs – as well as improve our efficiency – by 2020."
In its efforts to meet the ENERGY STAR Challenge, Dean Foods has employed a number of environmentally friendly initiatives ranging from the use of high efficiency lighting and controls to solar heating and thermal recovery and re-use.
Dean Foods manufacturing plants in the following cities met the ENERGY STAR Challenge:
· Athens, Tenn.
· Belvidere, Ill.
· Billings, Mont.
· Boise, Idaho
· Bridgeton, N.J.
· El Paso, Texas
· High Point, N.C.
· Houston, Texas
· Le Mars, Iowa
· Livonia, Mich.
· Mount Crawford, Va.
· Rensselaer, N.Y.
· Salt Lake City, Utah
· Spartanburg, S.C.
· Thief River Falls, Minn.
· Tulare, Calif.
· Waukesha, Wis.* (*plant divested in 2011)
· White Bear Lake, Minn.
Dean Foods is an Energy Star Partner and has ranked as one of the top consumer products companies on the Carbon Disclosure Project's Leadership Index for three of the past four years. The company first published environmental sustainability goals in 2009. Earlier this year, the company released new 2020 environmental sustainability goals which include reducing greenhouse gases 25 percent and energy use 20 percent by 2020.
