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Finalized energy mandate gives more time to Cleveland-Cliffs

A Cleveland-Cliffs worker checks the water level Wednesday, April 3, of a creek that runs by the plant in Butler Township. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle

The U.S. Department of Energy’s final energy standards, released Thursday, April 4, indicate Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works will have five years instead of three years to comply with new efficiency standards.

The announcement to increase the minimum efficiency by 2029 comes after Cleveland-Cliffs management, union leaders and elected officials opposed the proposed mandate, raising concerns that the jump in energy efficiency requirements was too wide for the company to bridge in just under three years and would potentially risk 1,300 jobs at the Butler Township plant.

The new standards for manufacturers of distribution transformers outpace the efficiency of grain-oriented electrical steel, manufactured domestically only at Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works. However, Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy, said the new compliance period gives the company time to improve its product’s efficiency.

“In that time, transformer manufacturers can maintain their existing production capacity and choose how best to update their facilities and designs to meet customer needs,” Granholm said Wednesday.

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