Methods and systems for energy benchmarking for gap analysis are disclosed, for example, for a plant in a paper industry having at least one equipment. The method can include a) monitoring the performance parameter of one or more equipments of the plant and/or of one or more other plants and/or of the plant or other plants, the performance parameter being evaluated from design data or plant model or historical operating data or current operating data; b) comparing at least one performance parameter against at least one other performance parameter of the at least one equipment of the one plant or other plant, or of the one plant or at least one other plant or a combination thereof; c) selecting one of the performance parameters from the at least one or other performance parameters being compared; d) setting the value of the selected performance parameter as a benchmark; and e) controlling the plant based on the benchmark.