EnStar Energy LLC: Energy Brokers and Consultants
This article appeared in the February 2026 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.
All manufacturers want to cut costs including energy costs but when was the last time you reviewed your energy bills? Did you check if you were on the most cost-effective utility rate? Were there any unexpected charges? Did you have a sales tax exemption? Were you paying a power factor penalty? What has your company done to improve the efficiency of its energy usage?
Don Johns, President of Lansing-based EnStar Energy, says manufacturers often save thousands per year after they thoroughly analyze their energy bills and the energy efficiency of their energy-using equipment.
Many businesses Johns has worked with have paid sales taxes unnecessarily, are not using the most efficient heating and cooling systems, have outdated lighting, have costly compressed air leaks and more. As MMA’s endorsed provider, EnStar serves as a resource for members — providing energy consulting and brokerage services, along with the ability to get the job done, with some at little to no cost.
By reviewing utility bills with EnStar’s consultants, MMA members can determine if they are on the most cost-effective utility rates, as well as spot bill errors and avoidable charges. Through on-site energy audits, members can address energy-related concerns in cooling, heating, machinery, lighting and other areas, and enhance sustainability efforts. EnStar can then take the steps necessary to get those problems corrected.
Benefits for MMA Members
- Conduct a no-cost utility bill review
- Help your company receive an industrial processing sales tax exemption
- Find and repair compressed air leaks at your facilities
- Get your company the best deal on gas and electric rates and terms
- Optimize facility energy efficiency with an onsite energy audit
- Lighting assessment and upgrades
- Help your company obtain a “Demand Response Agreement”
- Help your company meet its sustainability goals
- Tool to help with the daily task of managing energy usage
- Comprehensive site assessments to identify and reduce industrial parasitic loads
- Customized electric power solutions
- Assist in the development of EV charging stations
- Perform Power factor correction studies
Get started.
Johns says EnStar customers typically save somewhere from $1,000 to $33,000 per year based on the size of the company and the measures taken or corrections made.
“Something relatively simple, like changing their rates, can save them thousands of dollars a year,” he says.
A common issue is compressed air leakage, he adds, which EnStar can identify and eliminate using specialized equipment.
“Up to 30 percent of the compressed air generated by industrial air compressors is lost due to leaks and inefficient usage,” Johns notes. “We’ve helped MMA member companies save anywhere between $4,000 and $67,000. That’s an annual figure so the savings can stack up to substantial numbers.”
Another finding is that many businesses haven’t taken advantage of sales tax exemption opportunities. All manufacturers are eligible for an industrial processing sales tax exemption on utility bills, as well as a refund for up to four years of prior sales tax paid that should have been exempt, Johns says. The first-year savings plus refunds generally averages about $10,000 for MMA members.
“We have gotten back as much as $115,000 in the way of refunds for a customer, and that same customer got about $30,000 a year in sales tax savings going forward,” he adds.
Because EnStar works with reputable channel partners for customers’ electrical upgrades, equipment installation or repairs, business owners also can eliminate the time needed to find suitable contractors on their own.
See Member Benefits and take advantage of this valuable MMA member benefit or contact MMA’s Brenda Nalett at 517-487-8512 or nalett@mimfg.org.