Energy-efficient ice cream freezers installed at a new Pierre’s factory in Cleveland. (Photo Courtesy of Pierre’s Ice Cream Co.)

The Midwest is a hot spot for Clean Energy Funds, and an ice cream business is among the beneficiaries.

The scoop? So-called Clean Energy Funds, or CEFs, from sources including monthly surcharges on utility bills, have helped pay for energy efficiency and other improvements at places like Pierre’s Ice Cream Co., which opened a new, 35,000-square-foot factory in Cleveland almost a year ago.

Pierre’s used a state grant as part of a project that’s allowed the company to spend less money on the electricity needed to make its tasty treat — and keep the final product at an optimal temperature of minus 20 degrees when it’s stored in an on-site distribution center.

“The beauty of having all of this installed is that as we can increase volume, we will not be consuming more energy,” said Shelley Roth, president of Pierre’s Ice Cream Co.

“We’re hoping to see a savings of anywhere between 15 to 25 percent (on electricity costs).”
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