BEATRICE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that four manufacturing plants are the latest in the region to earn Energy Star Certification.

One of them is the Koch Nitrogen fertilizer plant which operates northwest of Beatrice. It achieved its certification in 2020.

The EPA said the other manufacturers earning the Energy Star status are a commercial bakery operation in Dubuque, Iowa…a flat glass manufacturer in DeWitt, Iowa which is also owned by Koch Industries…and a cement manufacturing facility in Festus, Missouri.

Last year, the EPA said 95 U.S. manufacturing plants earned the Energy Star certification, saving nearly $400 million on energy bills….equal to the payroll value of over eight thousand manufacturing jobs.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan says the companies have demonstrated that economic development and job creation “go hand-in-hand with environmental progress.”

Manufacturing plants with a verified energy performance score of 75 out of 100 or higher….are eligible for Energy Star certification….meaning they perform better than 75-percent of plants within their industry. They also save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Koch Nitrogen announced last year it was investing $90 million in its Beatrice area facility to improve reliability, environmental and safety performance...while increasing production by 75,000 tons annually. The upgrades are expected to be completed in the fall of this year.