Vernon Energy Efficiency Upgrade Program (VEE-UP)

The Issue

The margins in food production are quite tight. Thus, producers often operate plants continuously for long periods, shutting down only on rare occasion for maintenance or vital repairs. Upgrading existing and functional equipment to more energy-efficient versions is often not a high priority for food production plant operators and typically does not occur until the equipment reaches the end of its useful lifetime or fails completely. For these reasons, the Recipient has not yet upgraded most of its Vernon, California facility equipment. The Recipient can play a meaningful role in helping the state achieve its emissions reduction goals by acting now to implement energy efficiency upgrades.