CalPortland has won the 2019 Energy Star Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership and contributions to Energy Star. The company’s accomplishments will be recognised by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy at a ceremony in Washington, DC on 11 April.
EPA presents the award to partners that have already received Energy Star Partner of the Year recognition for a minimum of two consecutive years and have gone beyond the criteria needed to qualify for recognition.
CalPortland has been an Energy Star Partner since 1996 and remains dedicated to demonstrating and promoting energy efficiency within the company and to other companies in the construction materials industry.
Allen Hamblen, president/CEO of CalPortland, says: “We take great pride in our partnership with Energy Star and are grateful to be recognised for the fifteenth consecutive year. This is a genuine tribute to the ongoing commitment of our employees and our company’s comprehensive energy management culture. We are always focused on optimising energy efficiency, reducing emissions and actively protecting our environment.”
In the past year, the company invested over $100 million to increase its operational efficiency producing an overall energy intensity improvement of over two percent. Key 2018 accomplishments include:
- Improving energy intensity by 17.5% and saving $123 million since 2003.
- Construction of a new finish mill at the Oro Grande cement plant to increase utilisation and efficiency. Most areas of the plant have been upgraded and optimized, including crushing, raw milling, kiln, finish grinding, transport and cement loadout.
- Construction of two compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations to support CalPortland’s new fleet of 118 CNG 'Near Zero Emission' engine ready mix trucks.
- Leveraged the position of CalPortland’s CEO as chair of the Portland Cement Association to promote and support Energy Star throughout the construction material industry and mentoring more than 11 Energy Star industrial partners.
- Earning Energy Star certification for the seventh consecutive time for the Rillito Cement Plant and for the second time at the Oro Grande Cement Plant while concurrently accepting the Energy Star Challenge for Industry at six new plants and achieving the Challenge at three plants.
- Promoting Energy Star through advertising, social media, community outreach, school events and magazine articles to directly reach over 113,000 people while generating approximately 59 million impressions.
Bill Wehrum, EPA assistant administrator for air and radiation, says: “I applaud the 2019 Energy Star Award Winners. Their innovation and leadership enhance America’s economic competitiveness. Reducing costly energy waste improves air quality and public health while protecting the environment.”
