We have investigated three policy scenarios, entailing different degrees of commitment to improve energy efficiency to address the energy, economic and environmental challenges faced by the US industry. The scenarios reflect alternative views of the urgency with which policymakers and the American people will view these challenges and the policies they will seek. The industry consumes about 37% of primary energy in the United States, and is expected to grow under business-as-usual conditions. The policy scenarios find energy efficiency improvements from 7% to 17% beyond business as usual by 2020 for the Moderate and Advanced scenarios, respectively. The study demonstrates that there are substantial potentials for further efficiency improvement in the industry. However, an integrated policy framework that accounts for the different characteristics of industrial sector decision-makers, technologies and sectors is needed to achieve these potentials. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.