As Energy Efficiency Day gets underway, American chemistry is trumpeting the many benefits of being smart about energy use. This annual awareness event is a collaborative effort among dozens of energy efficiency supporters around the country. Since its debut in 2016, leaders and participants have included business and advocacy groups, companies, government agencies, and others. ACC and its members are glad to join in and echo its core message: “Save money. Cut pollution. Create jobs.”
There has never been a better time to highlight the upsides of energy efficiency, from cost savings and energy security to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Energy efficiency also helps propel our economy, supporting over two million jobs nationwide. For U.S. chemical manufacturing, energy efficiency is an important tool in our efforts to compete effectively in domestic and global markets.
Last week, the Senate approved the annual bipartisan resolution led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) affirming today’s designation. This duo has long championed the issue through landmark legislation such as the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness (ESIC) Act, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act, the Energy Act of 2020, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Be it resolved that the Senate designates October 5, 2022 Energy Efficiency Day…in celebration of the economic and environmental benefits that have been driven by private sector innovation and Federal energy efficiency policies.
Improving Performance Through Energy Innovation
American chemistry is committed to achieving measurable emissions reductions in the manufacture and distribution of our products. Through Responsible Care®, ACC members track and publicly report their GHG intensity, calculated by determining the pounds of CO2-equivalent emissions per pound of production. From 2017 to 2021, ACC’s reporting members have reduced their GHG intensity by more than 12%.
ACC members are taking action to reduce the industrial GHG intensity of their supply chains, operations, and products. We’re deploying commercially available solutions to reduce emissions, and there are a variety of innovative abatement solutions at various stages of maturity. Our current areas of focus include carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), lower-emission hydrogen, alternative feedstocks, and electrification.
Creating Energy-Efficiency Solutions
Chemistry and plastics enable numerous solutions and technologies that help society save energy and reduce GHG emissions, including renewable energy, electric and fuel-efficient vehicles, and high-performance building materials. Chemistry products and technologies are used to create lithium-ion batteries that power our laptops and mobile phones, composite materials for more fuel-efficient transportation, and solar panels and wind turbines -- among many other applications.
Collaborating With Congress and Federal Agencies
ACC and our members are working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Administration, and Congress to build on current technologies while accelerating RD&D for new energy efficiency and lower-emissions technologies. We responded to DOE’s request for input on “how America’s manufacturing sector can reduce emissions while making technologies that will power the clean economy and increase competitiveness on the global stage.” Our members will be important users and end markets for the energy and energy-enabling technologies that DOE is reviewing. We support successful implementation of IIJA and other research and funding authority. We look forward to more dialogue as we work to encourage increased technology investment, development, and deployment by the private and public sectors and other stakeholders.
Wishing you a productive #EEDay2022!
