Positive Impact

EERE program leads to $1 billion in energy savings.

Locations

Nationwide

Partners

Better Building Challenge Partners

Clean Energy Sector

Energy-saving homes, buildings, and manufacturing

The Better Buildings, Better Plants Program (Better Plants) is a national partnership initiative that challenges industry to set and meet ambitious energy-saving targets. Through Better Plants, more than 1,750 plants across the United States have saved about $1 billion in energy costs and approximately 190 trillion British thermal units—equivalent to about 11 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. Across the United States, manufacturers spend more than $200 billion each year to power their plants. Better Plants Partners set goals to improve the energy efficiency of their manufacturing operations, usually by 25% over 10 years and to develop showcase projects and implementation models to highlight their results and successes.

In September, EERE recognized more than 120 Better Plants Challenge manufacturers, who represent close to 8% of the total U.S. manufacturing energy footprint. These partners are making smart investments to save on energy costs, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve their bottom lines. EERE’s Better Plants Challenge aligns with the Administration’s Climate Action Plan, slowing the effects of climate change to leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations.

Launched in December of 2011 by President Obama, the Better Buildings Initiative takes a broad multi-strategy approach to accelerate energy savings through leadership, innovation, partnerships and demonstrated best practices. The Better Buildings Challenge is the central leadership initiative through which organizations of all types—local and state governments, schools, business, and manufacturers—commit to portfolio-wide energy savings goals and to share successful strategies that help achieve these goals and overcome financial and technical barriers in the marketplace. Utilities and financial firms also commit to focus resources on building improvements

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) success stories highlight the positive impact of its work with businesses, industry partners, universities, research labs, and other entities.