Saying businesses in the Hauppauge Industrial Park pay more than $40 million annually for electricity and natural gas, the Hauppauge Industrial Association just launched an energy conservation initiative designed to cut costs by at least 15 percent.

The Hauppauge Industrial Park is the largest such park east of the Mississippi River.Landlords and businesses in the 1,400-acre industrial park, home to 1,300 companies employing about 55,000 workers, paid more than $30 million to the Long Island Power Authority for electricity and $12 million to National Grid for natural gas in 2009, according to the HIA. The amount is likely far higher today.

The HIA-LI Energy Conservation Project -- a partnership between the industrial association, Long Island Power Authority and National Grid -- is teaming with Energy Star, a federal energy efficiency program led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Judith A. Enck, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator, called this the "largest building complex in the program on the East Coast." HIA buildings occupy about 14 million square feet.

"We believe this is a double advantage, to make the park more green and provide more green in the pockets of people who own and operate the facilities in the industrial park," said Jack Kulka, a builder and the HIA's energy, utilities and infrastructure committee chairman.