PEORIA, IL - Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman today highlighted the goals of President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative after consulting on an energy savings assessment at Caterpillar Inc.’s manufacturing facility in Peoria, Illinois.  To answer President Bush’s call for Americans to be more energy efficient, the Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting no-cost energy assessments at 200 of the nation’s most energy-intensive manufacturing facilities to identify energy- and money-saving opportunities. 

 

“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.”

 

This assessment focused on Caterpillar Inc.’s proprietary heat treatment process furnaces at the Transmission Business Unit facility in East Peoria, part of the company’s Motion and Power Control Division.  Caterpillar, Inc. is one of the 200 energy-intensive manufacturing facilities to volunteer to participate in DOE’s energy saving assessments.  This facility designs and manufactures transmissions and other drive train components, providing complete and integrated drive train solutions for Caterpillar and other Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) equipment vendors.  The facility’s energy team is working with a DOE energy expert to explore energy savings opportunities in the facility’s process heating system. 

 

DOE’s Energy Saving Teams have completed visits to 29 large federal facilities and have completed energy assessments at 44 energy-intensive manufacturing facilities in the U.S.  The first 21 energy saving assessments have identified opportunities which could reduce natural gas consumption by more than 8 trillion Btu per year, equivalent to the natural gas consumed by more than 100,000 homes annually. 

 

Companies interested in learning about the results of other manufacturers in saving energy can get more details at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/ and can request a free CD with information to assist a manufacturing facility to reduce energy costs.   

 

For tips on easy, inexpensive steps consumers can take to lower their energy bills, visit http://www.energysavers.gov/ or call DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Hotline at 1-877-337-3463.

 

Caterpillar also partners with DOE on diesel engine Research and Development.  Caterpillar is the worldwide leader in heavy-duty diesel engines with the number one market share position in both on-road and off-road applications.  On-road plus off-road diesel fuel use represents approximately 30% of all U.S. transportation oil use.  The DOE/Caterpillar partnership has grown to include advanced combustion regimes, alternative fuels, advanced petroleum fuel blending, many cross-cutting advanced materials, advanced product and process simulation.