The EPA recently recognized 17 manufacturing plants as first-time winner of the agency's Energy Star award. The awards were earned based on a plant's energy-efficient operations and elimination of some 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

“By committing to smart energy use, America's historic economic backbone is now supporting our nation's brightening environmental future,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, “Working with our manufacturing partners, we are implementing President Bush's aggressive and practical strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while growing the American economy.”

According to the EPA, manufacturing operations in the United States consume nearly one third of the country's total energy production, while generating 28 percent of its greenhouse gases. The acknowledged companies included 6 percent of the cement, 7 percent of the wet corn milling and 23 percent of the auto assembly manufacturing capacities.

For more information about the EPA's plant recognition and the energy efficiency rating system, visit www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=in_focus.bus_industries_focus.