DOE Secretary Bodman Takes Part in Energy Savings Assessment at Caterpillar Facility
April 10, 2006
Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman toured the Caterpillar plant in Peoria, IL on April 6, 2006 to participate in an Industrial Technologies Program Energy Savings Assessment (ESA) conducted there, and to reiterate the goals of President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative. As part of DOE's "Easy Ways to Save Energy Now" campaign, 200 of the nation's most energy-intensive manufacturing facilities will be evaluated for energy-saving opportunities. The first 21 ESAs have identified opportunities to reduce natural gas use by more than 8 trillion Btu per year, equivalent to natural gas consumed by more than 100,000 homes annually.
This Caterpillar site is among the 200 plants to be assessed. Caterpillar's energy managers teamed with a DOE Energy Expert to identify energy savings in the plant's process heating system at the Track-Type Tractors and Transmission Business Unit, part of the company's Motion and Power Control Division. This facility designs and manufactures transmissions and other drive train components for Caterpillar and other OEM equipment vendors.
"President Bush has called on all Americans to be more energy efficient. Private industry is joining the federal government in taking a leading role in this effort," Secretary Bodman said. "DOE's Energy Saving Teams are playing a key role in assessing and recommending energy efficiency strategies for some of the largest industrial facilities across the nation."
Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. The company has a long and successful R&D partnership with DOE, which includes developing clean diesel engines, advanced combustion regimes, alternative fuels, combined heat and power, cross-cutting advanced materials, fuel cells, and advanced product and process simulation. Read the DOE Press Release.
Visit the Industrial Technologies Program Save Energy Now Web site to learn more about the 200 plant assessments and numerous resources to help U.S. industry save energy and money and increase productivity right now.