The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) announced today that it was accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an ENERGY STAR® program partner.
As part of this partnership with EPA, DISCUS will promote the valuable tools and insights offered by the ENERGY STAR program to help the spirits industry understand best practices related to efficient energy in distilling facilities and beyond.
“The distilled spirits industry has been long invested in efficient energy use to protect our environment and natural resources,” said Chris Swonger, President & CEO of DISCUS. “This exciting new partnership with the EPA will support the spirits industry in maximizing resource utilization and eliminating waste at every step of the production process from grain to glass.”
As part of the partnership, DISCUS will encourage its members to:
- Measure and track the energy performance of facilities, operations, and commercial new construction projects using tools such as ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for buildings, ENERGY STAR Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs) for plants, and others offered through ENERGY STAR;
- Develop and implement plans consistent with the ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management to achieve energy savings;
- Promote the importance of energy efficiency, and the value of partnership with ENERGY STAR, to stakeholders, such as staff, association members, peer organizations, suppliers, and the community at large, and facilitate energy savings among these stakeholders through competitions, campaigns, and other engagement, where possible; and
- Highlight achievements by pursuing ENERGY STAR recognition and publicizing the accomplishments and recognition received by successful programs.
For more information about DISCUS and its members’ sustainability efforts visit: www.distilledspirits.org/sustainability/
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About ENERY STAR®
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including about 40% of the Fortune 500®—partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions that improve air quality and protect the climate. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses save more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and achieve over 3.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions, equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 750 million cars. In 2018 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans avoid $35 billion in energy costs.
About Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States is the leading voice and advocate for distilled spirits in the U.S., advocating on legislative, regulatory and public affairs issues impacting the distilled spirits sector at the local, state, federal and international levels. DISCUS members are committed to responsibility and encourage adults who drink to do so in moderation.