March 30, 2007 — About 20,000 Mittal Steel USA employees are taking the Energy Star(R) Change a Light Pledge to use energy-efficient lighting.
| The Energy Star Change a Light, Change the World Campaign is a national challenge sponsored by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The campaign encourages Americans to consider the energy they use, and to switch to light bulbs and fixtures that have earned the Energy Star for energy efficiency.
According to EPA estimates, Mittal employees' 20,000 pledges have the potential to save more than 5.5 million kilowatt hours of energy and nearly 9 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
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In encouraging its employees to participate in the Energy Star program, Mittal Steel USA vastly exceeded the goal it set with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of collecting 5,000 pledges from its U.S. employees through the Energy Star Change a Light, Change the World Campaign.
Mittal went even further by helping employees fulfill their campaign goal by exchanging each pledge for a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb. Employees also received a fact sheet about the amount of energy that is saved by replacing an incandescent bulb with a CFL.
Bulbs went to virtually every Mittal Steel employee, at 22 locations in 14 states.
Mittal conducted the campaign as part of its overall energy-awareness initiative, which seeks to reduce the use of energy in its operations as well as in employees' homes.
Lighting accounts for about 20% of a home's electricity use, and Energy Star touts the switch to energy-efficient lights as a significant way to reduce greenhouse gases, save energy and protect the environment. The EPA estimates that Mittal employees' 20,000 pledges have the potential to save more than 5.5 million kilowatt hours of energy and nearly 9 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
"These are the savings from each employee changing just one bulb," said Larry Fabina, Manager of Continuous Improvement at Mittal Steel USA–Burns Harbor (Ind.) and coordinator of the company's energy-conservation initiative. "When they also bring their energy awareness to work, there are dramatic opportunities for improving the environment while they also help Mittal Steel's bottom line and the pool of profits available for sharing."
"Many things can be done to save energy in just a few simple steps," said Wendy Reed of the EPA. "Mittal Steel USA's continued efforts to encourage others to take the Energy Star Change a Light Pledge have proven to be an invaluable contribution to preserve energy resources and help protect our environment."
Mittal Steel USA, with its affiliates, is the largest steel producer in North America and the largest integrated steel producer in the United States. It serves a broad U.S. manufacturing base. The company was formed in April 2005 and consists of the former Ispat Inland Inc. and the former International Steel Group. It has operations in 12 states of the United States.
Mittal Steel USA is a subsidiary of Arcelor Mittal, the world's leading steel company by both revenue and production. The company operates 61 plants across 27 countries, employing some 320,000 employees.
ENERGY STAR was introduced in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. Today, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Energy Star program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy and money, and help protect our environment for future generations. More than 8,000 organizations have become Energy Star partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses.
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