Idaho site earns Governor’s Award for Leadership in Energy Efficiency
The Idaho Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources has selected the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory as the recipient of the 2016 Governor’s Award for Leadership in Energy Efficiency.
This award recognizes the successes of contractors at the entire Idaho site – Battelle Energy Alliance and Fluor Idaho – and the more significant energy and emissions-related projects completed during Fiscal Year 2015. Combined, projects managed by BEA and Fluor Idaho reduced building energy costs by more than $680,000 annually.
Both BEA and Fluor Idaho have robust sustainability programs that actively look for ways to reduce energy use and environmental impacts.
The projects completed by the two companies resulted in eliminating emissions from backup generators, increasing lighting quality for industrial areas, right sizing HVAC systems, and overall increasing efficiency of facility and process operations.
“Continuous improvement through more efficient operations is a fundamental business tenet of our company,” said Fluor Idaho Program Manager Fred Hughes. “Not only is it good business, but it’s a responsibility we have to effectively and efficiently use the taxpayers’ funds and to be good stewards of the environment.”
“This is an exciting award that highlights how INL values sustainability and is dedicated to improving the energy efficiency and quality of our facilities and infrastructure,” said Carlo Melbihess, INL Facilities & Site Services director.
Energy usage at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho site was reduced by 20 percent at the end of FY-15 as compared to the goal base year in FY-03. From a historical perspective, the Idaho site has cumulatively reduced energy costs by well over $11 million over the past 30 years through completed projects and operational improvements. And just in the last eight years, carbon dioxide emissions into Idaho’s environment were reduced by 33.5 percent.
“In addition to the direct benefits these energy efficiency efforts bring to the state and the Idaho site, they represent important progress for the U.S. Department of Energy toward meeting Federal Sustainability goals to decrease carbon dioxide emissions, meet High Performing Sustainable Building standards and reduce petroleum fuel consumption,” said Richard Kauffman, Environmental Resources supervisor with DOE’s Idaho Operations Office.
Lt. Gov. Brad Little will recognize recipients of the awards at a ceremony Nov. 1 in conjunction with the 2016 Idaho Energy and Green Building Conference in Boise. Representatives of DOE-Idaho Operations Office, Idaho National Laboratory (BEA) and Fluor Idaho will accept the award as a team.
Fluor Idaho manages and operates environmental management work at the Department of Energy’s Idaho Site, 50 miles west of Idaho Falls. Fluor Idaho is focused on risk reduction and protection of the Snake River Plain Aquifer by safely integrating, accelerating and delivering the Idaho cleanup mission.
For more information, visit the Idaho Cleanup Project on the Web at https://fluor-idaho.com/
