Effective and sustained corporate energy management programs are becoming a necessity for energy users as electricity deregulation laws are enacted on a state-by-state basis across the country and environmental regulations pertaining to emissions become more prevalent. The "total energy asset management" (TEAM) approach has been developed to assist energy end users with the development and implementation of corporate energy management programs designed to reduce energy risks and increase energy cost savings. This paper highlights the ways in which this approach can be applied to the mining industry while minimizing initial program implementation costs and increasing potential program benefits. Nearly the entire mining industry has become focused on identifying opportunities to reduce costs per unit of yield The industry as a whole has increasingly faced pricing pressures due, in large part to the effects of global competition. The result of international marketplace participation and the emergence of higher-efficiency recovery techniques have resulted in flat or even decreased prices for mining products. Thus, opportunities to reduce costs are actually opportunities to gain a competitive edge over similar mining operations. Due to the energy-intensive nature of many mining operations, the costs associated with energy are often a substantial percentage of operating costs. Therefore, it becomes important to develop the corporate mentality that energy is an asset whose use should be optimized globally. In addition to the cost benefits of the TEAM approach, other benefits may occur such as reductions in facility greenhouse gas emissions.
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