The U.S. chemical industry has made significant improvements in energy efficiency over the last two decades. Fuel and power energy consumption per unit of output declined by over 39% between 1974 and 1995. Much of this achieved efficiency improvement is the result of aggressive energy management and housekeeping programs instituted after the 1973 oil crisis. Improved process and equipment designs (e.g., more efficient designs for distillation, new catalysts) have also contributed to gains in energy efficiency. The increased adoption of energy-efficient practices like cogeneration, waste-heat recovery, and heat integration have also helped to reduce overall energy intensity. [CMA 1998] The second chart below, prepared from CMA data, indicates a recent trend (1994-1997) toward declining energy intensity, whereas MECS data are not available, as yet, for that time period.