The Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s 6th Power Plan projects that industrial and agricultural sectors have the potential to save the region 800 aMW by 2029, enough to power over 600,000 Northwest homes each year. These energy savings represent more than just a significant resource for the region’s electrical system; they represent an opportunity for Northwest manufacturing industries to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage in today’s global market place.
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The Business Case
Why Energy?
Energy efficiency sustains competitive advantage.
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To help the region realize this energy savings potential, NEEA is executing an industrial and agricultural strategy in 2010-2014 that will increase demand for strategic energy management solutions by targeting industry cluster groups to set industry-wide energy intensity reduction goals. NEEA will also increase the market’s ability to meet this increased demand by working with its regional utility partners to provide tools and training to help the market implement strategic energy management strategies. NEEA is executing this strategy through the following three initiatives:
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Food Processing |
NEEA is creating and configuring a whole product strategic energy management solution for the Northwest food processing industry that accelerates adoption of strategic energy management through numerous strategies. Through this initiative, NEEA will help create a de facto strategic energy management standard and increase persistent savings and reliable demand for utility programs. NEEA will also deliver strategic energy management solutions in both rural and urban environments.
Key Barriers:
- There currently is no whole product strategic energy management solution within the food processing industry.
- Strategic energy management is not viewed as a priority for executives and industry leaders in meeting business objectives.
- Industry lacks training and understanding of how to implement strategic energy management.
- The market lacks practices, programs, qualified suppliers and technologies to fulfill the industry’s strategic energy management needs.
Key Strategies:
- Create demand for strategic energy management whole product solutions by leveraging NEEA’s partnership with the Northwest Food Processors Association, which is mobilizing its members to reach its energy intensity reduction goals of 25 percent in 10 years and 50 percent in 20.
- Provide strategic energy management tools and education to the industrial industry.
- Promote and encourage adoption of strategic energy management.
- Demonstrate the value of and train the market to deliver Continuous Energy Improvement, a framework developed by NEEA that embeds strategic energy management into business and manufacturing operations.
- Promote the value of ISO 50001.
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Small- to Medium-Sized Manufacturing Business (SMB) |
NEEA is developing and configuring a whole product strategic energy management solution for small-to medium-sized manufacturing businesses in the Northwest that will enable self-referencing industry groups in the small- to medium-sized manufacturing market to reduce group-wide energy intensity over an established period of time. Through this initiative, NEEA will help create a de facto strategic energy management standard, increase persistent savings and reliable demand for utility programs and also deliver strategic energy management solutions in both rural and urban environments.
Key Barriers:
- There currently is no whole product strategic energy management solution within the SMB marketplace.
- Strategic energy management is not viewed as a priority for executives and industry leaders in meeting business objectives.
- Industry lacks training and understanding of how to implement strategic energy management.
- The market lacks practices, programs, qualified suppliers and technologies to fulfill the industry’s strategic energy management needs.
Key Strategies:
- Research availability of energy efficiency in the SMB marketplace.
- Leverage SMB reference partners to convene, inform, and mobilize SMB members to set energy intensity reduction goals, supported by strategic energy management tools and education.
- Leverage SMB reference partners to create demand for strategic energy management whole product solutions.
- Provide strategic energy management tools and education within the SMB marketplace.
- Promote the value of ISO 50001.
- Configure CEI to meet the needs of small-to-medium sized manufacturing businesses.
- Leverage manufacturing extension partnerships to raise awareness of energy efficiency in the SMB marketplace.
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Agriculture |
NEEA is currently conducting a market characterization study to determine what barriers and opportunities exist within the agricultural industry in the Northwest. If this study identifies barriers to the adoption of strategic energy management and opportunities that NEEA can address while leveraging the regional market power of the Northwest, NEEA will develop a strategic energy management solution for the agricultural industry.
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