Clean industry

Green steel

The economic case for green steel production at a Michigan steel mill

Cleveland-Cliffs’ Dearborn Works blast furnace is due for relining in 2027. Advocates say now is the time to convert it to new technology powered by clean energy.

By Kari Lydersen . 19 November 2024

Brown factory towers against a blue sky — Blast furnaces at a Michigan steel mill (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Clean industry

Southern California adopts landmark rule to electrify industrial heat

The effort will slash emissions from more than 1 million boilers and water heaters over the next decade. Advocates hope other regions will follow suit.

By Maria Gallucci . 7 June 2024
Clean aluminum

New Zealand has a surprising tool to boost its grid: an aluminum plant

Making aluminum requires lots of power. Rio Tinto struck a new deal to deliver demand response and boost clean energy use at its Tiwai Point smelter.

By Maria Gallucci . 7 June 2024
Clean industry

Sublime Systems’ low-carbon cement goes commercial

The startup’s cement is made using electricity instead of fossil fuels. Now the company is working to get contractors and construction crews to use it.

By Jeff St. John . 30 May 2024
Clean industry

Chart: Which sectors are the biggest industrial emitters in the US?

Industry is set to become the country's largest source of CO2 emissions, largely driven by chemical manufacturing and oil and gas refining.

By Maria Gallucci . 24 May 2024
Green steel

How much clean energy does it take to make green steel?

The Biden administration is backing two projects that use clean hydrogen, not coal, to make iron. A new analysis estimates just how much renewable energy those facilities will need.

By Maria Gallucci . 22 May 2024
Green steel

Now Form Energy is using its battery tech to clean up iron and steel

The energy storage startup is adapting its iron-air battery technology to make low-carbon iron, a key input for decarbonizing the steel industry.

By Julian Spector . 21 May 2024
Clean industry

Industrial emissions aren’t falling fast enough to meet US climate goals

Rhodium Group’s new report found that heavy industry, including steel mills and chemical plants, could soon be the nation’s number one source of CO2 emissions.

By Maria Gallucci . 16 May 2024
Emissions reduction

Chart: Heavy industry is the next big climate problem to tackle

Industries like steel, cement, and chemicals could be the top source of planet-warming emissions in the U.S. by 2035, as electricity and transportation decarbonize.

By Maria Virginia Olano . 26 April 2024
Green steel

US awards $28M for cutting-edge tech to clean up iron and steel

The DOE picked Electra, Limelight Steel, and other teams that are working to slash steel’s emissions. Experts say their innovations are crucial but still far off.

By Maria Gallucci . 18 April 2024
Clean industry

How the essential, dirty steel industry is going green

Green hydrogen will likely play a key role in decarbonizing steel. Experts discussed the complex transition in Pennsylvania, the birthplace of U.S. steelmaking.

By Maria Gallucci . 10 April 2024