The pathway to:
Industrial DecarbonizatioN Commercial Liftoff
Industrial decarbonization presents a vital opportunity to transform industrial systems to improve energy and environmental justice. Today, U.S. industrial players are at risk of lagging behind net-zero targets, with a focus on short-term, easy-to-implement solutions; however, momentum is growing for deployment of industrial decarbonization solutions. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act have created unprecedented tools to support industrial decarbonization, customers are demanding low-carbon products (e.g., steel for auto), and early private sector movers are emerging. Achieving meaningful reductions could require up to $1,100 billion in capital expenditure and a bold shift in leadership and technology adoption across various sectors. Carbon-intensive industrial sectors are facing a critical inflection point and society is focused on accelerating deep decarbonization; this is a unique moment that neither American industry nor DOE can allow to pass.
There are three new reports focused on industrial decarbonization in the Pathways to Commercial Liftoff series. The goal of this family of pathway reports is to provide a guide to a private sector-led, industry-wide decarbonization effort that is deeper and faster than it would otherwise be and that directly benefits fenceline communities by emphasizing environmental justice and the creation of good jobs.
Pathway to Commercial Liftoff: Industrial Decarbonization
The report Pathway to Commercial Liftoff: Industrial Decarbonization provides an overview of the pathways to decarbonization across eight industrial sectors of focus: chemicals, refining, iron & steel, food & beverage processing, pulp & paper, cement, aluminum, and glass.
Pathway to Commercial Liftoff: Decarbonizing Chemicals & Refining
The report Pathway to Commercial Liftoff: Decarbonizing Chemicals & Refining specifically focuses on decarbonizing the downstream production of chemicals & refining – which together represent 38% of total energy-related industrial emissions for the U.S.
Pathway to Commercial Liftoff: Low-Carbon Cement
The report Pathway to Commercial Liftoff: Low-Carbon Cement specifically focuses on decarbonizing cement production, where 30% of emissions could be abated by the early 2030s through scale-up of deployment-ready and economically positive measures.
The U.S. Department of Energy, in partnership with other federal, state, and local agencies, has tools to address challenges to commercial liftoff and is committed to working with communities and the private sector to build the nation’s clean energy infrastructure in a way that meets the country’s climate, economic, and environmental justice imperatives.