Alabama Industrial Energy Consumers

Governor Bentley Champions Industrial Energy Efficiency

 

Bentley 2MONTGOMERY — On June 11, Governor Robert Bentley promoted industrial energy efficiency as a means to boost the state economy.  Appearing at the Alabama Summit on Industrial Energy Efficiency, he spoke to more than 70 businesses, utilities and other industry groups. Held at the State Capitol, the event was the culmination of a months-long Policy Academy supported by the National Governors Association and conducted by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community affairs.

Companies that pursue energy efficiency measures become more competitive and create jobs. “We all have an interest in helping our industries succeed because their success means that our economy is growing and that we are creating jobs,” Bentley said. “We want to encourage companies to look at efficiency measures and to make sure they have the information they need to make the best decisions.” 

The PolicyAcademy consists of several core team stakeholders – industrial companies, utilities, public interest advocates, and others, including the Alabama Industrial Energy Consumers (AIEC). The team met several times over the last year, including with core teams of other states, to design recommendations for a comprehensive plan. 

Following Gov. Bentley’s remarks, members of the core team presented its recommendations, which included a presentation by Lloyd Webb of AIEC member company Olin Corporation. Other AIEC member companies attending the Summit were Georgia Pacific (Jim Price) and Praxair (Anne Schillaci). 

Policy academy recommendations include: 

  • Develop a website to serve as a one-stop-shop for industries studying energy efficiency measures. The site would pool information about state and federal programs that offer information and technical assistance and direct companies to potential financing opportunities. The information would include ADECA’s AlabamaSAVES loan program that offers low-cost financing for efficiency projects and the AlabamaIndustrialAssessmentCenter that conducts audits to help companies indentify the most cost-effective energy improvements.

 

  • Establish a working group to ensure that companies can obtain the required local permits in a timely manner when they want to make efficiency improvements or generate electricity on site.

 

  • Hold regular statewide events like the summit to give industries a forum to share experience and ideas related to energy efficiency.

 

  • Explore offering internship and degree programs in energy-related fields at Alabama colleges. Five University of Alabama students have just begun an internship program where they will assist manufacturers to carry out energy or waste reduction projects. If successful, the program will be offered to students at other universities.

 

Alabama is home to more than 5,200 manufacturing, assembly, and processing facilities that employ more than 312,000 people and contribute more than $27 billion annually to the state’s economy, according to Manufacture Alabama. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that the industrial sector consumes about 40 percent of the energy produced in the state.

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