Feb. 7, 2008 – A simple idea is helping Vulcan Materials Company save electricity at its Corona, Calif., Plant. The construction materials manufacturer has designed a new downhill conveyor that generates electricity for the facility as it carries rock to the plant below.

The electricity created by the plant’s downhill conveyor will save more than 180,000 pounds of greenhouse gas each year, according to Brian Anderson, director of environmental management, regulatory affairs, and sustainable development for Vulcan’s Western Division.

The energy savings were reported in Vulcan's 2006 greenhouse gas inventory, performed as part of the company’s membership in the California Climate Action Registry, a voluntary greenhouse gas reporting program.