Cemex USA announced today that five of its cement manufacturing plants were awarded the top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Department of Energy (DOE) recognition for their outstanding leadership in energy management. Cemex’s plants in Clinchfield, Ga.; Davenport, Calif.; Louisville, Ky.; Knoxville, Tenn. and Wampum, Pa. received the ENERGY STAR.

"The ENERGY STAR demonstrates Cemex’s successful commitment to sustainable manufacturing processes while producing the highest quality products," said Gilberto Perez, President of Cemex USA. "We are the first cement company in the nation to achieve five ENERGY STAR awards in 2008 for our work to protect the environment through energy efficiency."

All five plants received the ENERGY STAR for their efficient cement manufacturing processes. This is the second consecutive year Cemex’s Louisville, Davenport, and Clinchfield plants received the award.

Over the last year, the plants conducted compressed air system surveys to identify leaks, installed variable-frequency drives to replace damper controls on fans, installed area power metering equipment to better analyze consumption, performed process inspections on the kiln systems to identify and reduce air infiltration, and conducted audits to reduce unnecessary power usage. All five plants implemented measures to improve their performances in their energy use, including installing more efficient high-tech equipment.