ConocoPhillips Billings Refinery Earns EPA Energy Star for Energy Efficiency

ConocoPhillips’ refinery in Billings, Montana, has become the first in the United States to receive the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star designation for outstanding energy performance. The facility’s advanced design, meticulous operations, and rigorous maintenance practices place it in the top 25 percent of U.S. refineries in terms of energy efficiency.

"I applaud ConocoPhillips’ Billings refinery for being one of America’s energy all-stars," said EPA Regional Administrator Robert E. Roberts. "Energy is a significant expense for manufacturers, and this facility is demonstrating that energy efficiency is a solid economic and environmental investment."

Key to the refinery’s success is its focus on capturing and recycling thermal energy—critical in fuel production. A heat‑recovery system captures heat from the crude tower to pre‑heat incoming cold crude, yielding substantial savings. Additionally, an intensive steam‑trap maintenance program efficiently separates condensed water from the steam system, returning hot water to boilers to generate more steam.

The Energy Star program rewards refineries that rank in the top 25 percent nationwide based on the Solomon Associates Energy Intensity Index (Solomon‑EII). In 2006 alone, Energy Star helped American businesses and consumers save $14 billion and prevent greenhouse‑gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million vehicles.

EPA partners with the petroleum refining industry and eight other sectors to promote strategic energy management. The manufacturing sector, which consumes about one‑third of U.S. energy and contributes 28 percent of greenhouse‑gas emissions, is a growing Energy Star participant. Petroleum refiners alone spend more than $8 billion annually on energy; a 5 percent industry‑wide reduction could generate enough electricity for over one million households and avert more than 25 billion pounds of CO₂ emissions.

ConocoPhillips’ Billings refinery employs over 300 people and processes 58 million barrels of crude per day. It produces high‑quality transportation fuels—including gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel—as well as fuel‑grade petroleum coke. Finished products are delivered via company‑owned pipelines, railcars, and trucks to markets across Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Washington.

For more information on Energy Star and its work with manufacturers, visit www.energystar.gov/industry.