DOE Conducts Energy Assessment at Paper Mill Cogeneration Plant

February 9, 2006

DOE conducted an industrial Energy Saving Assessment in early February at a steam and power "cogeneration" facility in Alsip, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. Through its free energy assessments, DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is working with major manufacturing facilities to identify opportunities to save energy and money, primarily by focusing on steam and process heating systems. EERE's Energy Saving Teams have completed visits to 28 large federal facilities and are in the process of visiting 200 of the most energy-intensive manufacturing facilities in the United States as part of the national "Easy Ways to Save Energy" campaign launched in October 2005.

The energy assessment was carried out at the Alsip Paper Condominium Association, a facility producing both steam and 8.3 megawatts of power for adjacent paper mills operated by Madison Paper Company and SCA Tissue. Madison Paper is a producer of high quality printing and publication papers using recycled fiber. The SCA Tissue facility uses market pulp to produce tissue products consumed outside of the home. See the DOE press release.

EERE's first six industrial Energy Saving Assessments identified a total of $10 million per year in potential energy cost savings. On average, the suggested energy-saving improvements at the six industrial plants would reduce their natural gas consumption by 6.7 percent. EERE recently announced that all 200 manufacturing facilities have been selected, and together they represent 15 percent of the industrial natural gas consumption in the United States. See the "EERE Progress Alert" and the list of the 200 manufacturing facilities on EERE's "Save Energy Now" Web site.