U.S. manufacturers on the cusp of investing to boost capacity face a great opportunity to incorporate energy efficiency in their decision-making.
The industrial sector is close to reaching capacity at a time when shipping costs are making domestic production more attractive. This leaves the door open for manufacturers to shift energy use patterns toward efficiency when they make future capacity investments, according to a new report from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Tight capital markets and uncertainty has many sectors watching their expenditures. Manufacturing, however, is beginning to return to the U.S. amidst skyrocketing marine freight costs skyrocket and weak dollar. In the near future, several industries will be ready to open their wallets.
The ACEEE report said capacity rates for crude, primary/semi-finished goods and finished goods are trending toward historical highs of the early 1980s and late 1990s. Steel represents one resurgent market, with roughly a half-dozen mills planning expansions.
Source: GreenBiz.com
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