Industry and energy: Challenges and opportunities

Various US commodity materials manufacturers are planning to explore the possibility of adopting cost cutting and energy efficiency strategies to remain competitive with foreign producers. Most of the companies are upgrading their machinery to achieve energy efficiency and energy economy. Companies are planning to reduce energy consumption by 10 to 20 percent through energy management programs as around 57 percent of industry's primary energy inputs are lost before reaching the intended process activities. Companies expect that savings of 20 to 30 percent can be achieved using procedural and behavioral changes within the organization. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting analysis of the most energy-intensive industries for optimizing the use of fuel. Commodity materials manufacturers are also evaluating the advantages of investment in innovative technologies to meet environmental regulations and fuel economy.