Mittal Steel USA Exceeds ENERGY STAR® Goal to Shed Light on Energy Savings
03/29/07
CHICAGO — Mittal Steel USA is helping to protect the environment for future generations by getting about 20,000 employees to take the ENERGY STAR® Change a Light Pledge to use energy-efficient lighting.
In doing so, the company vastly exceeded the goal it set with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of collecting 5,000 pledges from its U.S. employees through the ENERGY STAR® Change a Light, Change the World Campaign.
Mittal went even further by helping employees fulfill the goal of the campaign by exchanging each pledge for a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb and a fact sheet on the amount of energy that's saved by replacing an incandescent bulb with a CFL.
Bulbs went to virtually every Mittal Steel employee, at 22 locations in 14 states.
The ENERGY STAR® Change a Light, Change the World Campaign is a national challenge sponsored by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy to encourage Americans to consider the energy they use and to switch to light bulbs and fixtures that have earned the ENERGY STAR® for energy efficiency.
Mittal conducted the campaign as part of its overall energy-awareness initiative, which seeks to reduce the use of energy in its operations as well as in employees' homes.
Lighting accounts for about 20 percent of a home's electricity use, and ENERGY STAR® touts the switch to energy-efficient lights as a significant way to reduce greenhouse gases, save energy and protect the environment.
According to EPA estimates, Mittal employees' 20,000 pledges have the potential to save more than 5.5 million kilowatt hours of energy and nearly 9 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
"These are the savings from each employee changing just one bulb," said Larry Fabina, manager of continuous improvement at Mittal Steel USA — Burns Harbor (Ind.) and coordinator of the company's energy-conservation initiative.
"When they also bring their energy awareness to work, there are dramatic opportunities for improving the environment while they also help Mittal Steel's bottom line and the pool of profits available for sharing."
"Many things can be done to save energy in just a few simple steps," said Wendy Reed of the EPA. "Changing just one light in your home can make a difference to the well-being of the entire community.
"Mittal Steel USA's continued efforts to encourage others to take the ENERGY STAR® Change a Light Pledge have proven to be an invaluable contribution to preserve energy resources and help protect our environment."