WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled today the selected projects for its Industrial Demonstrations Program, a $6 billion initiative funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to spur the deployment of game-changing decarbonization technologies in the industrial sector.
DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) made the announcement, which highlighted the selected projects in sectors including steel, cement, aluminum, and more.
The following are reactions from groups working in this area:
“This important investment to clean up steel, aluminum, and other heavy emissions industries goes hand-in-hand with other climate-friendly policy measures, such as Buy Clean incentives,” said CeCe Grant, director of Sierra Club’s Industrial Transformation Campaign. “We are excited for private industries to take a leading role in cleaning up our industrial sector and will work to ensure that fenceline communities and workers have a real seat at the table to shape the vision for a just transition.”
“The breadth and variety of projects selected shows just how much opportunity there is to decarbonize industry. If done right, these projects can put us on the path to cleaner production of core products of the modern economy, while spurring the creation of good jobs,” said Christina Theodoridi, industrial policy director at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Now, the hard work begins to ensure the selected projects are designed well, benefit communities, and don’t cause harm–and we’ll need a pipeline of private and public funding to ensure more of these projects can proceed.” (More detail is in her blog, here.)
“This is a huge win for climate and jobs. This new investment in a clean aluminum smelter is a critical first step toward securing a domestic supply of low-carbon primary aluminum. This is an extraordinary start, but there is more to be done to ensure that the U.S. has the aluminum that we need to support the clean energy transition. This announcement demonstrates just how critical low-cost clean energy is, and we must ensure the four remaining smelters struggling with high-energy costs can access affordable clean power now.” said Annie Sartor, aluminum campaign director at Industrious Labs.
“By demonstrating technologies to cut industrial emissions, the US is also demonstrating leadership on the global stage. The awards announced today will make American businesses and workers more competitive in fast-growing markets for cleaner products, while advancing solutions to help nations around the world meet climate goals,” said Ryan Fitzpatrick, senior director for domestic policy, Climate and Energy Program, at Third Way. “Demonstrations are a smart way to lower risk, unlock private investment, and help the U.S. turn hard-earned R&D into commercial success. The number of applicants for this $6 billion program was enormous, as is the range of technologies required to decarbonize heavy industries–making clear the opportunity for ongoing investment in industrial demonstrations,”
"The climate crisis won’t be constrained by global manufacturing competition. Nor will competition for making the cleanest, most efficient goods wait for political fights to die down. Thankfully, the Industrial Demonstrations Program has just vaulted the U.S. to a leadership role in the race to produced decarbonized goods from critical sectors like steel, aluminum, and cement,” said Mike Williams, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. “It’s time to retire the phrase `hard-to-decarbonize industries’ because the Biden Administration just made it obsolete.”
“The Industrial Demonstration Program will play a critical role in catalyzing private sector investment, by de-risking innovative approaches to decarbonizing energy-intensive industries. These projects will help to support important emission reductions in a sector for whom decarbonization has historically been paid insufficient attention. The success of these investments will also have important long-term benefits for the competitiveness of domestic industries in the global transition to a net-zero economy,” says Brad Townsend, vice president of policy and outreach at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
“These cutting-edge projects announced today will chart the path toward a transformed industrial sector that is decarbonized, cleaner, and internationally competitive for the future,” said Nora Esram, senior director for research at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). “This funding will catalyze investment by industrial companies while supporting local priorities in the communities that host them. This investment from the Department of Energy is a key step in the revitalization of clean, `Made in the USA’ manufacturing.”
“Industrial decarbonization is a pathway to creating new jobs, increasing American manufacturing competitiveness, improving local communities, and protecting our climate. The Department of Energy’s awards today are important partnerships that will help deliver all these benefits to our people, our economy, and our environment. These DOE-industry collaborations will help drive transformation and scale,” said Blaine Collison, executive director of the Renewable Thermal Collaborative.
"Entrepreneurs and innovators have made huge progress in recent years, and many promising technologies to clean up cement, steel, and industrial heat are ready to be demonstrated at scale. This historic investment will accelerate this industrial innovation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating manufacturing jobs, improving air and water quality, and bolstering American competitiveness,” said Abigail Regitsky, senior manager at Breakthrough Energy.
“Building the cleanest products possible and a strong domestic supply chain to manufacture the nuts and bolts of a new, clean economy in the United States is vital to the future of workers and our planet,” said Jason Walsh, executive director at BlueGreen Alliance. “We have a rich tradition of innovation in our country and President Biden has set the stage for the revival that workers and communities have needed for decades. With the investments announced today, we see that the United States can compete and lead in transforming our industrial sector.”
“The U.S. was severely behind Europe in its public and private investments in green steel. Today’s billion-dollar federal investment in hydrogen-ready facilities gives the U.S. the opportunity to reverse that trend and lead in green hydrogen iron and steelmaking globally,” said Hilary Lewis, steel director, Industrious Labs. “This is not just about the money. It’s about replacing coal-based steelmaking plants, alleviating generations of toxic air pollution and growing the green workforce.”
“The Biden Administration is merging economic policy with climate policy to reduce air and water pollution, reduce climate pollution, create local jobs in clean manufacturing, and strengthen our national economy. Climate philanthropy is proud to have supported the development and implementation of these policies, which demonstrate the power of collaborative action in shaping a greener, more sustainable future for all,” said Rebecca Dell, senior director at ClimateWorks Foundation.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.