by Meegan Kelly, Senior Research Analyst, Industry Program
The industry has been important to the American economy since our country’s earliest days, and the strength of the manufacturing sector is a priority for the US government and members of Congress. In a Senate briefing last week, staff on Capitol Hill attended a presentation celebrating the success of the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) program, a little-known and long-standing initiative funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) that helps small manufacturers save energy while training students – the next generation of energy efficiency engineers.
As part of the IAC program’s 40th anniversary, hill staffers from more than 10 Congressional offices convened for a briefing organized by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to learn about the program’s achievements. Teams of students at 24 of the top US engineering schools have conducted more than 17,000 free energy assessments. They also help small and medium manufacturers save more than $1 billion in energy costs. Not to mention enough energy to power over 1.4 million homes. To emphasize these successes, Senator Shaheen and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) submitted a formal recognition resolution commending the IAC program’s value to manufacturers and engineering students.
To continue reading this blog post, visit:Â https://aceee.org/blog/2016/06/celebrating-40-years-saving-energy
