Clean industry

Lasers could help cut CO2 emissions from Maine’s paper and pulp mills

The Worcester Polytechnic Institute is testing a new industrial drying technique that uses lasers instead of gas furnaces to dry paper, pulp, and other materials.

By Sarah Shemkus . 22 November 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
Clean industry

New DOE-backed projects tackle factory emissions with heat pumps and more

The Biden admin is directing $500M toward factories that will use heat pumps, electric boilers and thermal energy storage to provide clean industrial heat.

By Jeff St. John . 1 April 2024
Clean industry

The 'clean cement' projects getting $1.5B in Biden admin funds

From carbon capture to alternative cement chemistries, the U.S. is funding a range of projects that aim to slash the enormous CO2 footprint of the cement industry.

By Jeff St. John . 27 March 2024
Clean industry

US pledges up to $1B for two pioneering 'green steel' projects

Steelmakers Cleveland-Cliffs and SSAB could get up to $500M each to build novel facilities that can make iron for steelmaking using hydrogen.

By Maria Gallucci . 26 March 2024
Clean industry

Biden admin invests $6B to cut carbon from steel, cement — and snacks

The Energy Department’s historic new investment aims to decarbonize the dirty, energy-intensive sectors that underpin the modern global economy.

By Maria Gallucci . 25 March 2024
Clean industry

Why a shrinking US aluminum industry is tricky news for clean energy

Once the world’s top aluminum producer, the U.S. is now making much less of it — just as cleantech industries drive up demand for the metal and advocates try to drive its emissions down.

By Maria Gallucci . 19 March 2024
Hydrogen

The brewing rift within the Biden admin’s clean hydrogen strategy

The Energy Department's seven hydrogen hubs oppose the administration’s strict rules that aim to ensure the new 45V tax credits reward truly clean hydrogen.

By Julian Spector . 29 February 2024
Energy storage

Cheap clean energy could unleash the power of thermal storage

A growing crop of startups plans to use heat and rocks to tackle some of the hardest decarbonization problems, from chemical production to long-term grid storage.

By Eric Wesoff . 29 February 2024
Hydrogen

Clean hydrogen has a serious demand problem

Experts worry that U.S. policies to make clean hydrogen cheaper aren’t enough to convince today’s dirty hydrogen users to make the switch.

By Jeff St. John . 30 January 2024