Hanesbrands, headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was saluted in
its ENERGY STAR citation for achieving a 7% energy intensity reduction in
2021 and a 30% energy intensity reduction since
2007.
Photo courtesy of Hanesbrands
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of
Energy (DOE) last week announced the 210 organizations who have earned
2022 ENERGY STAR Awards for their actions to save energy and protect the
environment. They hail from 37 states. “In 2020, energy savings from
ENERGY STAR and its partners helped reduce U.S. electricity consumption
by the equivalent of over 10% of total U.S. demand,” the agencies said,
“while delivering emissions reductions equivalent to 5% of U.S. total
greenhouse gas emissions.” Among the industrial companies saluted by the
agencies were Columbus, Ohio–based resin, coating and adhesive maker
Hexion Inc., and Winston-Salem, North Carolina–based Hanesbrands.
The announcement came with a full data download option, which permits us
to discover the top sectors represented, including commercial building
owners, tenants and managers (56 awards); utilities (45 awards); and
product design and manufacturers (33 awards). Below are the top states
and top cities where ENERGY STAR-awarded companies and institutions are
headquartered. State and new metro-area analysis from these rankings and
a host of other factors will be folded into this year’s Sustainability Rankings coming soon in the July 2022 issue of Site Selection. — Adam
Bruns
Texas Workforce Commissioner Aaron Demerson outlines the state’s
approach to worker training and to the realities of remote work, labor
shortages and changing job requirements.
Refiner Parkland this week announced plans to expand co-processing
volumes to 5,500 barrels a day and build British Columbia’s largest
renewable diesel complex, capable of producing approximately 6,500
barrels per day. “The environmental effect of the renewable fuels
produced will equate to the permanent removal of approximately 700,000
or 25% of the passenger vehicles on British Columbia’s roads,” the
company said. Parkland has received BC Government support for over 40%
of the project costs in the form of BC Low-Carbon Fuel Standard
Compliance Credits. “I applaud the Government of British Columbia for
their vision and support of these innovative projects,” said Bob Espey,
Parkland president and CEO. “This announcement advances our
decarbonization strategy and our commitment to provide customers with
low carbon choices which help them meet their environmental goals.
Renewable fuels play a critical role in Canada’s climate ambitions by
enabling customers to reduce their carbon footprint using their existing
vehicle.” The company aims to make a final investment decision in the
second half of 2023, and is “assessing the feasibility and availability
of financial support to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (‘SAF’) as
part of these plans, in support of decarbonizing Canada’s aviation
sector.”
This investment by Ireland-based Kerry Group will result in what the
company called “the largest and most advanced taste manufacturing
facility” on the African continent, producing “sustainable nutrition
solutions” and elements such as seasonings, liquid flavors and other
ingredients. In a company release, South Africa Deputy Minister of
Trade, Industry and Competition Nomalungelo Gina said, “The project is
recognized as a key strategic investment in the region of Kwa-Zulu Natal
and within South Africa’s food manufacturing industry and has been
included as part of the South African Presidential investment drive to
stimulate sustainable, equitable and inclusive growth as the foundation
for socio-economic transformation in the country. We are excited about
this investment because it aligns very well with our re-imagined
industrial strategy.” Kerry also is investing in a development and
application center in Nairobi, Kenya. The company also has invested in
the past year in a $36 million facility in Indonesia, and in March
opened a $137 million, 250-employee plant in Rome, Georgia.
An astronaut onboard the International Space Station made this photo last
year of a portion of the Paraná River, the second longest river in South
America. It flows mostly northeast to southwest for approximately 4,880
kilometers (3,030 miles), passing through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina
and forming part of the Argentina–Paraguay border.
Photo courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory
A compelling story from UNCTAD explores how the
organization’s TrainForTrade Port Management Program has helped
further Bolivia’s economic development via improvements and industrial
area development at the Port of Jennefer and dredging of a channel to
improve access to the Paraguay-Paraná waterway and an alternative route
to the ocean.
PHOTO OF THE
DAY
Photo courtesy of Salt River Project
Mother’s Day this week saw line crews from Salt River Project return
from 36 days on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona as one of 14
utilities taking part in the Light Up Navajo electrification project led
by the American Public Power Association (APPA) and Navajo Tribal
Utility Authority (NTUA) to provide electricity to families who have
never before had power. This photo depicts their work for one such
family.
“Light Up Navajo III is an initiative to bring power to all the
residents on Navajo Nation,” said Wayne Wisdom, the senior director of
Distribution Grid Services at SRP. “There are about 14,000 homes on the
Navajo Nation that currently do not have electric service,” representing
75% of all U.S. households that do not have power. “The vision back in
2019 was to solicit neighboring utility support primarily from public
power utilities like SRP to help build the infrastructure to serve the
community. For generations, these families have been living on their own
with the use of generators, kerosene lamps, or whatever they have.”
During SRP’s participation, line crews constructed about 12 miles of
distribution lines, set 193 poles, strung 13 miles of overhead wire and
worked 4,500 donated man-hours, ultimately connecting 56 families to
electricity for the very first time. “When the project wraps during the
third week in June a total of 200 Native American families will have
electricity in their homes,” said an SRP release.
Around the world, approximately 770 million people live without access to electricity, says the
International Energy Agency, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 77%.
Approximately 300,000 people reside on the 27,000-square-mile Navajo
Nation (which includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah) with
55,000 homes across the area roughly the size of West Virginia. For
further insights, read “Energizing Navajo Nation: How electrification can
secure a sustainable future for Indian Country,” published last
summer by The Brookings Institution.
