Illinois is one of four states chosen for Best Practices Policy Academy

Illinois is one of four states chosen by the NGA (National Governors Association) for a prestigious Best Practices Policy Academy grant to boost industrial productivity through use of energy efficiency and CHP (combined heat and power). The bipartisan NGA said Illinois earned the award due to its, "...approach to advancing industrial energy efficiency by engaging a wide range of stakeholders across the state to develop approaches linked to the state's energy-efficiency goals." "Industry is part of Illinois' heritage, from the stockyards and blast furnaces of our parents' generation to the high-tech corridors of today," Governor Quinn said, adding "Manufacturers can trim energy costs and sharpen their competitive edge by using CHP and other homegrown measures." CHP is an efficient and clean approach to on-site power generation. Under conventional CHP, fuel is burned in a "prime mover" such as a gas turbine, with the waste heat "recycled" to provide heating, cooling, or dehumidification. Under WER (Waste Energy Recovery), the fuel is burned in a furnace or boiler to provide heat to an industrial process, with excess heat recycled to generate electricity on-site. Following a national trend, energy expenditures by Illinois' 14,700 manufacturers have increased by 25% since 2000. The NGA grant will address ways to enhance Illinois industry through energy efficiency and CHP in nine manufacturing sectors:

• primary metals
• petroleum and coal products
• chemical
• food
• nonmetallic mineral products
• paper
• fabricated metal products
• machinery
• plastic and rubber products

There are currently 139 CHP units in Illinois, accounting for nearly 1.4 GW of electricity generation. Large CHP facilities include the Archer Daniels Midland plants in Decatur and Peoria, University of Illinois campuses in both Champaign and Chicago, Eastern Illinois University, and U.S. Steel's Granite City Works. Others include the Brookfield Zoo, M&M Mars Candy Company, Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and three veterans' facilities. NGA NGA Center for Best Practices