Initiated by the EPA, DOE and NIST/MEP in 2008, the E3 concept is to locally deploy a public-private partnership model to serve U.S. manufacturers and their communities. Specifically, E3’s Lean-Green offering provides significant value to a manufacturer by assessing various aspects of their business in order to be competitive and sustainable.
The first E3 effort in South Carolina began in 2011. The South Carolina DHEC, Center for Environmental Sustainability teamed up with SCMEP and Duke Energy to implement E3 with manufacturers in the state. Others involved in the first phases of the E3 effort included The Upstate Workforce Investment Board and the Small Business Development Center.
In 2014, Clemson University was presented with the opportunity to become involved with E3. A two-year partnership was developed between the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at Clemson University and Duke Energy to perform E3 assessments for manufacturers in South Carolina. DHEC and SCMEP have also joined this partnership and will be key players in performing the P2 and lean assessments for the project.
This current two-year phase has committed to a program with approximately 6 to 8 projects in upstate South Carolina companies, commencing in 2015. The partnership is further outlined in this charter.