COLUMBUS, Miss.–You are always being told that it’s a good idea to find ways to be more energy efficient. Now Severstal Columbus, a steel manufacturer, has gotten a big check from the Tenn. Valley Authority for its efforts to cut down on energy consumption at its plant.
The $2.5 million check was presented by TVA and Gov. Phil Bryant Tuesday. The company retro-fitted its giant fans that send particulates (you’ve got me there) from its electric arc furnace to a bag house for pollution control.
Whether you can get a check for making your house more energy efficient is unclear. This program in particular is for big industrial companies.
This is from a press release:
Using customized assistance from TVA, Severstal was able to reduce its total energy usage by 25,251,390 kilowatt-hours, enough to power 2,000 average TVA homes.
”This is one additional step toward improving our operational competitiveness,” said Madhu Ranade, vice president and general manager for Severstal Columbus. “We appreciate TVA’s partnership and support in this project.”
“The $2.5 million check is the largest payment to date for this program and represents a commitment from Severstal to produce a quality product as energy efficiently as possible,” said Cindy Herron, director of TVA Energy Efficiency and Demand Response. “Through projects like this, TVA is leading a strong energy efficiency effort in Mississippi and across the TVA service territory.”
Bryant came to the Severstal plant to celebrate the milestone with company leaders and employees.
“Reliable, affordable energy is a critical component of Mississippi’s business-friendly environment, and this energy efficiency project is a great example of the relationship between smart energy policy and economic development,” the governor said. “This energy efficiency project will help Severstal achieve savings that can be reinvested in its manufacturing operations, and because Severstal will use less electricity, more space will be available on the power grid for other companies to grow or locate in Mississippi.”
TVA estimates Severstal will save $1.6 million annually in energy costs, which will allow Severstal to become even more competitive in the marketplace. Severstal’s success also helps TVA continue to build an “Energy Efficiency Virtual Power Plant” that reduces the overall cost of electricity for TVA customers.
