Kenworth’s Renton Plant Selected To Help Develop Energy Management Standard for Manufacturing

KIRKLAND, Wash., Kenworth Truck Company’s manufacturing facility in Renton, Wash., has been selected to participate in a co-sponsored U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) project to provide input toward development of an international energy management standard for manufacturing plants.


“Kenworth is honored to be selected to participate in this prestigious Northwest Energy Management Demonstration Project co-sponsored by the DOE and NEAA,” said Marilyn Santangelo, Kenworth assistant general manager for operations. “Kenworth’s Renton plant is committed to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources through effective management of energy used to support the manufacturing process.”

“Our environmental efforts are of special importance, and this project offers a significant avenue to contribute to the development of enhanced best practices in manufacturing energy efficiency,” added Reid Nabarrete, Kenworth-Renton plant manager.


Kenworth is just one of five companies in the Pacific Northwest selected for the project. Kenworth’s selection was based on its environmental accomplishments, which include the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Excellence award, and 2009 Green Washington manufacturing award from Seattle Business magazine. Kenworth’s Renton plant holds the prestigious ISO 14001:2004 certification for effective environmental management systems established to help build Class 8 trucks in an environmentally sustainable manner. The plant also earned a 2009 Best Workplace for Recycling and Waste Reduction Award from King County’s Solid Waste Division, and a King County Industrial Waste Program Commitment-to-Compliance Award for five consecutive years of outstanding compliance with the plant’s industrial wastewater discharge permit.

Participating companies will be among the first in the United States that may become certified under the pending American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited plant certification, which includes conforming to ANSI’s Management System for Energy standard. This standard will serve as U.S. input for an even more far-reaching international energy management standard known as ISO 50001, which is expected to be released by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2011.

Upon successful completion in 2011, project participants will have embedded sustainable energy management strategies and systems that lead to continuous energy savings, reduced operational costs and significant reduction of carbon emissions. These results will showcase the tangible advantages of energy efficiency as a sustainable and profitable business model and bolster the competitiveness of participating companies within the global marketplace. More information about the project is available at www.NWEMDemo.org.