TVA, WRECC award nearly $90K in energy incentives to GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Tennessee Valley Authority and Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation awarded nearly $90,000 in energy efficiency incentives to General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly Plant.
According to a release by the organizations, the funding was presented Wednesday at the plant, recognizing recent upgrades to the facility’s dust collection system.
“We’re proud of the progress and improvements we’ve seen with the new dust collector system,” said Jake Zachrich, manufacturing engineering lead at Bowling Green Assembly. “The project has helped us better align the system with our production needs while supporting General Motors’ energy conservation efforts. This project will save the energy equivalent of 80 homes worth of electricity annually. It reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and responsible energy use. We appreciate the TVA and Warren RECC for their partnership and support.”
After completing an earlier process improvement at the plant, Bowling Green Assembly states it discovered its existing dust collection setup no longer met the facility’s operational needs. The system consumed significantly more energy than necessary, prompting plant leaders to reevaluate and redesign the configuration, the release says.
With guidance from Clean Air Technology Solutions, the release says a member of TVA EnergyRight’s Preferred Partners Network, Bowling Green Assembly converted its oversized energy intensive system into a streamlined, high efficiency operation.
Due to this reconfiguration, the plant states it is expected to save more than 578,000 kilowatt-hours annually — enough to power more than 80 homes for a year. The financial incentives from TVA EnergyRight and Warren RECC will also help improve the project’s payback period by nearly two and a half years.
“Solutions like the one we’re spotlighting today are a perfect example of Warren RECC’s commitment to innovation. Our partnership with TVA EnergyRight has proven to be a valuable resource in keeping our commercial and industrial members at the cutting edge of energy efficient technology, often resulting in financial savings for their businesses,” said Dewayne McDonald, president and CEO, Warren RECC. “GM’s Bowling Green Assembly Plant is a great asset to our community, and we are delighted to be able to continue our strong relationship and shared commitment to our community.”
“TVA’s mission is to make life better in Bowling Green and throughout the Tennessee Valley region,” said Ray Knotts, TVA sr. director of demand management. “When we can help a major facility like GM’s Bowling Green Assembly Plant reduce energy use, improve process efficiency, and save money to make even more upgrades in the future, we’re doing what we set out to do. We’re proud to partner with Warren RECC to deliver the engineering expertise and incentive funding that supported this project.”
To learn more about TVA EnergyRight’s Business & Industry energy management programs including energy efficiency incentives, visit energyright.com/business-industry/.
