Energy Efficiency Fact Sheet

This 2006 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines technologies and strategies to improve energy efficiency in the United States industrial and manufacturing sectors, highlighting specific gains in energy-intensive industries and the financial mechanisms available to offset capital costs.

• Industry accounts for more than one-third of total energy consumption in the United States, with oil and natural gas providing nearly 80 percent of that energy. Between 1990 and 2003, industrial energy use increased by only 2 percent despite a 25 percent growth in industrial output.
• Several cross-industry technologies can significantly reduce energy waste: combined heat and power (cogeneration) can convert up to 90 percent of fuel into usable energy compared to one-third for conventional generation; adjustable speed drives for motors can save between 3 to 60 percent of energy; and optimizing compressed air systems can improve efficiency by 20 to 50 percent.
• Energy-intensive industries have seen specific efficiency gains: aluminum smelting demonstration projects achieved 20 to 30 percent savings; impulse drying in paper production can reduce drying energy by up to 50 percent; and steel production in 2005 required 25 to 50 percent less energy per ton than in 1970.
• The DOE’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) supported over 600 projects resulting in 160 new technologies, which saved industry more than 121 trillion Btus (approximately $740 million) in 2003. Individual case studies show significant savings, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport reducing central plant energy usage by 28 percent from 2001 to 2005.
• To overcome the high capital costs of installing energy-efficient equipment, companies can use energy service performance contracts (ESPC), where an energy service firm pays for the installation and is reimbursed through the resulting energy savings.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2006). Energy Efficiency Fact Sheet. https://www.eesi.org/files/industry_efficiency_0506.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Energy Efficiency Fact Sheet. 2006. https://www.eesi.org/files/industry_efficiency_0506.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Energy Efficiency Fact Sheet |date=May 2006 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/industry_efficiency_0506.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2006energy, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Energy Efficiency Fact Sheet}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2006}, month = may, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/industry_efficiency_0506.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }