GM North America
GMNA Target
GM's North American region maintains its own separate regional target to reduce energy use. In 2005, GMNA surpassed its target of a 25 percent reduction in energy use goal from a 1995 baseline by realizing a 31 percent reduction over the timeframe. A new long-term goal for GMNA has been established as a 20 percent reduction in energy use by 2010 from a 2005 baseline. GMNA operations also establish year-to-year targets to drive energy conservation and reductions even more aggressively. Progress against these targets is monitored at the plant level.
Energy Use
In 2005, GMNA consumed 22,989 GWh of energy. Overall energy usage for the region was down 31 percent, compared to 1995. Compared to 2004, overall energy use was down 6.41 percent.
Renewable Energy Use
Working with the Green Power Market Development Group, GM is advancing implementation of alternative and renewable energy projects. The group, comprised of leading corporations and the World Resources Institute, focuses on developing U.S. corporate markets for 1,000 megawatts of cost-competitive, new, green power capacity by 2010. We are working with the group to develop landfill gas use, fuel cell generation, and photovoltaic and wind power projects.
Solar in California
General Motors is one of the leading users of renewable energy in North America. In addition to our use of landfill gas as boiler fuels, GM also began using photovoltaic systems to provide electrical energy in 2006.
A new photovoltaic installation at our Rancho Cucamonga, California Service Parts facility became operational in June 2006. According to the World Resources Institute, it is the largest photovoltaic installation among publicly held corporations in the United States.
The system, consisting of 180,000 square feet of solar panels, provides 50 percent of the facility’s electrical load – producing 1.5 million KWh per year. This is the equivalent of replacing 675 tons of coal per year.
Solar panels line the roof of the GM Service Parts Operations Parts Distribution Center in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The parts center is the nation's largest corporate solar photo voltaic installation. The solar panels keep costs down and reduce the facility's environmental impact. Solar energy not consumed is fed back into the California power grid, helping thousands of Californian's power their own homes.
GM is in the final stages of developing an additional solar photovoltaic installation at a facility in Fontana, California. This project is approximately three-quarters of the size of our Rancho Cucamonga installation, and will also be a significant project.
The New York Times recognized GM’s outstanding leadership in deploying this project through the use of innovative technology and power purchase agreements (article available at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/21/business/21solar.html - login required) .
GM of Canada Energy Use
Since 2000, GM's Canadian operations have reduced energy use by more than 15 percent. Energy use decreased in 2005 by 2.69 percent compared to 2004. GM of Canada publishes detailed energy efficiency accomplishments annually in the Canadian GHG Challenge Registry Program.
GM of Mexico Energy Use
GM Mexico (GMM) decreased total energy use in 2005 by 6.64 percent over 2004. Since 2000, GMM operations have reduced energy use by 4.98 percent. GMM continues to implement a series of energy efficiency initiatives, including:
- Energy Sufficiency Plans
- The shutdown of paint shops during non-production time
- Lighting efficiency projects
- Compressed air efficiency projects, such as leak detection and pressure reductions.
In 2005, GMM also received the National Energy Savings Award, based on its performance in 2003 & 2004.
