WASHINGTONThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working in cooperation with the U.S. auto industry, has created a rating system for measuring the energy efficiency of assembly plants producing passenger cars, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans in the United States. The system, part of the EPA's Energy Star program, is intended to help companies cut energy usage, save money and protect the environment.
Currently, motor vehicle manufacturers in the United States spend more than $700 million annually on energy for assembly plants. According to the EPA, if energy use across the industry were reduced by 5 percent, the savings would be equivalent to the fuel used to operate almost 78,000 passenger cars for a year-preventing the emission of more than 1 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.