Energy Efficiency Opportunities

All businesses, particularly manufacturers, can benefit greatly from implementing energy conservation opportunities. Doing so can help reduce costs, retain customers, attract new clients, and give you a competitive advantage.

In 2008, industrial facilities in Minnesota used 615 trillion Btus, including 30,000 gigawatt hours of electricity and 100 million MCF of natural gas. To encourage energy conservation within the State, the Minnesota legislature passed the Next Generation Energy Act of 2007. The Act calls for all utility companies in Minnesota to meet an energy savings goal of 1.5% of gross annual retail energy sales. To do so, many utilities in Minnesota have developed comprehensive rebate programs that provide businesses with incentives.

A first step to implementing energy efficiency improvements is to understand what improvements exist and what impact implementation can have. These Web pages offer ideas and resources to businesses looking to conserve energy and cut costs. Businesses that have not previously looked at energy efficiency are likely to save 10 to 20% off their energy bill from addressing low-capital projects.