Potlatch hopes for energy savings

LEWISTON, Idaho – Potlatch Corp.’s pulp, paper and lumber mills in Lewiston will receive a three-day energy audit next week from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Potlatch volunteered for the free assessment, which is being offered to 200 of the nation’s most energy-intensive industries.

“We’ve watched natural gas prices triple in the past three years,” said Mike Sullivan, spokesman for Spokane-based Potlatch.

Though the company has already cut its natural gas usage by 50 percent over the same period, it continues to look for additional savings, he said. “This is an opportunity to have a fresh set of eyes on the operation.”

The Lewiston operation produces more than 1,500 tons of paper per day. Paper-making consumes large quantities of energy, though stream from the plant is also used to generate electricity, which is sold to Avista Utilities. The plant actually produces about 60 percent of the power that it needs to operate, Sullivan said.

Potlatch signed up for a similar audit at its pulp and paper mill in Cypress Bend, Ark.

The Department of Energy is working with large manufacturers to save identify conservation targets. The agency’s primary focus is industries that produce steam and heat as a byproduct of manufacturing. Details on the program are available at www.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow.