October, 2015 – Volume 8, Issue 10
October is Energy Awareness Month
Owensboro Grain Company wins the Douglas C. Griffin Environmental Sustainability Award
October is Energy Awareness Month
In 1991, October was designated as Energy Awareness Month by presidential proclamation. The annual event is 
now celebrated by large and small businesses, non-profit organizations, government organizations and citizens. Each October, energy awareness is promoted through activities and actions to increase understanding of our energy needs and provide information about ways to reduce the amount of energy we consume.
A good source of online information about energy use and efficiency is the Energy.Gov website. The site provides resources that cover home, government, commercial and industrial energy information as well as the latest news about innovative technologies and renewable alternatives.
You can also find many resources at the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star website. Energy Star is a national program that helps businesses and individuals achieve savings through energy efficiency.
Owensboro Grain Company Wins KPPC 2015 Environmental Sustainability Award
Owensboro Grain Company has been selected as the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center’s (KPPC) Douglas C. Griffin Environmental Sustainability Award winner for 2015. KPPC created the award in 2009 to recognize those Kentucky companies that have demonstrated a commitment to the principles of sustainability by reducing waste, lowering energy use and practicing environmental stewardship. The award is presented each year in conjunction with National Pollution Prevention Week. The memorial award is named for the late Douglas C. Griffin, KPPC’s Board Chairman from 1999 to 2015.
John Wright, Executive Vice President for Owensboro Grain accepts the ES award from Lissa McCracken, Executive Director of KPPC
This year’s winner, Owensboro Grain Company, was founded in 1906 and is now in its fifth generation of ownership. Owensboro Grain produces a wide variety of products at its plant locations on the Ohio River in western Kentucky. The company also operates a biodiesel production facility, which has added millions of gallons of fuel per year to the nation’s energy supply. Owensboro Grain has been actively engaged in sustainability efforts for a number of years and has been working with the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC) since 2011.
John Wright, Executive Vice President of Owensboro Grain, accepted the award in Owensboro on September 29. Wright acknowledged the efforts of the staff and management team in the company’s successful sustainability efforts, “I want to accept this award on behalf of our staff – especially those who helped push our sustainability efforts through – they’re the ones on the front lines who have made energy management, waste reduction and sustainability a priority for our company and for our community.”
View a video of the award presentation and an interview with John Wright on KPPC’s YouTube Channel.
National Manufacturing Month
Governor Beshear Proclaims October “Manufacturing Month in the Commonwealth”
Kentucky pays tribute this month to one of its largest and most significant 
sectors as Governor Steve Beshear proclaimed October Manufacturing Month in the Commonwealth.
“Manufacturing stands as a pillar of Kentucky’s economic success, and the industry has seen substantial growth in recent years,” said Gov. Beshear.
To celebrate Manufacturing Month, the Commonwealth is joining with the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) to honor Kentucky’s manufacturers and their employees.
Members of the public can participate in any of 30 programs scheduled across the state for Manufacturing Month. KAM events include “Go, See, Learn & Share” open houses, plant tours and school field trips across the state throughout October. Find an event nearby.
For a list of events and more information on Manufacturing Month, visit KAM’s website.
21st C Manufacturing Collabrium
KAM – Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, is holding a Manufacturing Collabrium on October 22 as part of National Manufacturing Month. Ensuring manufacturers have access to a talent pool that understands and embraces the energy and opportunity in the manufacturing sector is critical to the future strength and growth of manufacturing in Kentucky. Understanding the importance of creating a culture to retain and attract the talent required to compete in today’s global community is of equal importance. This “collabrium” will create an environment to learn more about tomorrow’s manufacturing environment and to share what is working, as well as resources and opportunities available to Kentucky’s manufacturing community.
October 22, 2015 – 8:00 am-4:10 pm – Louisville, KY – Register Now
Women in Manufacturing: Workforce Solutions
Women will be part of the answer to workforce needs in the coming years. Solution-oriented, this conference focuses on drawing women into the educational pathways that lead to manufacturing careers which offer stability, economic self-sufficiency, and self-confidence. This event is co-sponsored by the Kentucky Commission on Women.
October 29, 2015 – 9:00 am-3:30pm – Marriott Griffin Gate – Lexington, KY – Register for the event.
Newsbits
KPPC Welcomes New Board Members
KPPC would like to welcome two new members to its Board of Directors. By executive order, the Kentucky Governor’s office has appointed Joey Harris, from Danville Kentucky and Scott Kirkpatrick, from Paducah as KPPC board members. Mr Harris will represent the industrial community and Mr. Kirkpatrick will represent environmental engineers.
The Governor also reappointed Dave Pedigo, who will serve as interim board chairman, and John Clay. You can find all of KPPC’s Board Members listed on our website.
Four Energy Efficiency Trends to Look for
From ACEEE – American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
Recently, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the White House Office of Science and Technology released the second Quadrennial Technology Review, or QTR. The 489 page tome bears resemblance to many other government reports that are too often relegated to the TL;DR file—too long; didn’t read. That would be unfortunate for those of us who care about the future of energy efficiency technologies.
The report contains a wealth of numbers about energy use and the technologies that can affect the future of energy efficiency in the US economy, and it presents four trends:
- Convergence. All sectors of the economy are becoming increasingly interdependent.
- Diversification. Energy sectors are shifting to diversified, distributed resources—a trend that ACEEE has been seeing in state and local energy planning.
- Confluence. Computing power and simulation are ushering in a new era of “systems by design,” much the same as the concept of intelligent efficiency that ACEEE has been advancing.
- Efficiency everywhere. Energy efficiency is a critical element in achieving national energy security, cost, and environmental goals—a theme that is at the core of our Energy Efficiency as a Resource Conference that took place last week in Little Rock.
Read the article on ACEEE’s website
Register Today for KY Bioenergy Day Event
National BioEnergy Day – Wednesday, October 21, 2015
National Bioenergy Day is a nationwide day of advocacy for all kinds of heat and power generated by woody biomass and agricultural waste, from large scale utilities to home heating stoves. The Kentucky bioenergy event will take place on Wednesday, October 21 in Campbellsville and will touch on all aspects of the bioenergy supply chain, including foresters, landowners, manufacturers, power producers and consumers.
Learn more about the event at the EEC website.
Check out the Biomass Boilers Fact Sheet at DCA’s website.
Energy Star Day!
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans for this year’s Energy Star Day celebration! Energy Star Day will take place on Tuesday, October 27th, 2015, and the EPA is eager to take the opportunity to show how their partners and individuals across the country are changing the world by saving energy.
What is Energy Star Day? Energy Star Day is a national celebration that encourages people to make a commitment to saving energy and protecting the environment from climate change.
How is EPA Celebrating? This year EPA is celebrating Energy Star Day by asking people across the country to commit to an energy-saving action, and to do so by taking the Energy Star Pledge.
Visit the EPA’s website to see how you can participate in this year’s Energy Star Day celebration. By participating, you will be highlighting your support of the Energy Star program and its goal of educating consumers about preventing climate change.
University of Louisville Sustainability Week
The University of Louisville Sustainability Council is sponsoring UofL Sustainability Week – A Sustainable Homcoming – October 19-25. The event will feature a full week of activities on and around campus to celebrate and raise awareness about environmental, social & economic stewardship in conjunction with Homecoming Week at the university.
Full details can be found at UofL’s sustainability council website.
See What’s New at ESRC
The Environmental Sustainability Resource Center (ESRC) is a member of the Pollution Prevention 
Resource Exchange (P2Rx™), a national network of regional information centers. The objective of the ESRC is to provide technical environmental sustainability information and training to industrial service providers in EPA Regions 3 & 4. The primary service area for the ESRC is EPA Region 3 & 4. Region 3 includes Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, D.C., Delaware and Maryland. Region 4 includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. ESRC resources and staff are available to users in industry, consulting and universities. Please visit the ESRC website or call toll free (855) 531-3772 for more information.
GreenBiz – Sustainability News & Resources
GreenBiz advances the opportunities at the intersection of business, technology and sustainability. Through its websites, events, peer-to-peer network and research, GreenBiz promotes the potential to drive transformation and accelerate progress — within companies, industries and in the very nature of business. Since 1991, GreenBiz has chronicled and been a catalyst for thought leadership in aligning environmental responsibility with profitable business practices.
Find the latest articles, videos and resources on the GreenBiz website.
Energy Star Express Training Videos
Energy Star has announced the completion of a new suite of eight animated Express Videos to help explain how to benchmark, report, and share information about your properties in Portfolio Manager. These 5-minute videos are helpful for both new and seasoned users, and make it easier to get the information you need, when you need it. The eight videos cover the following topics:
• Basic Functionality
• Sharing
• Reporting
Take a look at the new videos on Energy Star’s website.
Upcoming Training, Events and Conferences
• Register Today for Bioenergy Day Event
Register today to attend the 2015 Kentucky National Bioenergy Day on October 21 at Campbellsville, Kentucky. Learn More and register.
• Wastestock
A three-hour strategy session to explore the potential of using one company’s waste as a valuable resource for another.
October 25, 2:00 – 5:00 pm – Learn more.
• EPA Webinar: Portfolio Manager 101
Get started using EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool. An introduction and demonstration of the core functionality of the Portfolio Manager tool, including how to enter properties, enter energy and water data, share data with others, and generate performance reports.
October 27 at 1:00 pm EDT – View more training opportunities and Register for the Webinar.
• EPA Webinar: Portfolio Manager 201
Take a deeper dive into the more advanced features of Portfolio Manager, such as managing changes in property uses over time, using spreadsheet templates to quickly upload data, setting goals, and creating custom reports.
October 28 at 1:00 pm EDT – View more training opportunities and Register for the Webinar.
To view these and other sustainability-related events, please visit the KPPC Events Calendar.