FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nissan has been named a 2011 ENERGY STAR^® Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA will present Nissan with the award during a ceremony this evening in Washington, D.C. This is the second consecutive year Nissan has received this honor.

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The 2011 Partner of the Year Award recognizes Nissan's commitment to smart energy management, the company's ability to measure and track progress, and its efforts to communicate the importance of energy efficiency to a wide audience. Nissan is among more than 20,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR^® program.

"Nissan's robust energy management program is a national model, demonstrating how to fight climate change through energy efficiency," said Elizabeth Craig, Acting Director of EPA's Office of Atmospheric Programs. "Effective energy management not only helps the bottom line, but it also is our most cost-effective climate strategy."

Nissan has been an ENERGY STAR^® partner since 2006. Since then, Nissan's manufacturing plants in Smyrna and Decherd, Tenn., and Canton, Miss., have seen energy efficiency improve by more than 30 percent, saving the company over $11.5 million per year.

"At Nissan, we utilize our most valuable resource - our employees - to achieve honors such as this from the EPA," said Mike Clemmer, Director/Plant Manager of Paint and Plastics and sub-leader for the Energy Management Competitiveness Team. "Nissan has created an energy-wise culture throughout our operations that fosters an atmosphere of idea sharing. These innovative ideas come from our employees and yield significant reductions in energy usage while helping protect the environment."

Nissan not only is pursuing energy efficiencies in its operations but also is producing vehicles that reduce real-world environmental impact. In 2010, Nissan introduced the world's first all-electric, mass-market vehicle, the Nissan LEAF. The Nissan LEAF has no tailpipe and produces zero emissions. As part of Nissan's Green Program, Nissan also is helping reduce CO2 emissions by producing hybrid electric vehicles, developing bio-fuel cars, marketing fuel cell vehicles, and increasing fuel efficiency for gasoline cars.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010 and has been recognized as a 2010 and 2011 ENERGY STAR^® Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 150,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles in 2010. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.

About ENERGY STAR^®

ENERGY STAR^® was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with energy use. Today, the ENERGY STAR^® label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR^®, saved $18 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas equivalent to those of 34 million cars. Products, homes and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR^® prevent emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. For more information, go to energystar.gov.

SOURCE Nissan North America