The beverage industry alone consumed 76 trillion British thermal units (BTUs) of energy in 2010, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This includes nearly 7.5 billion kilowatts of electricity, 33 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and 5 trillion BTUs of other energy sources but does not take into account the energy consumed by related industries including the paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, printing, electronics and transportation equipment industries, among others, it reports.
Although production cannot commence without some form of energy, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) challenges commercial and manufacturing facilities, neighborhoods and even individual homes to use their energy resources more efficiently. These energy efficiency efforts are recognized by the USGBC through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.