Background

NASEO, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office, is working with State Energy Offices to identify, develop, and enhance resources to help manufacturing industries meet their goals and state objectives for economic development and competitiveness, emissions reduction and environmental protection, and energy reliability, resilience, and security.

This work includes both (1) helping existing industrial facilities through technical and business assistance; and (2) accelerating development and deployment of new technologies and industries. The scope includes manufacturing and related industrial activities (e.g., mining, water and wastewater treatment) broadly as well as manufacture of clean energy products (such as PVs, EVs, batteries, electrolyzers, carbon capture and utilization, high-efficiency products, controls, and clean fuels)

NASEO operates a State Industrial Working Group with interested states to advance these goals and engages with relevant programs and resources across agencies, organizations, and industries. Please contact industry@naseo.org or Rodney Sobin (rsobin@naseo.org) or Sam Cramer (scramer@naseo.org) with any questions about this initiative and to join the Working Group.

New, recent, and upcoming:

  • NASEO Webinar: Renewable Thermal Vision and Industrial Electrification in U.S. States - June 14, 2023, 3:00pm-4:00pm ET: Under the aegis of the NASEO State Industrial Working Group, the Renewable Thermal Collaborative, a global coalition for companies, institutions, and governments committed to scaling up renewable heating and cooling and cutting carbon emissions at industrial facilities, will illuminate paths forward for decarbonizing thermal energy in the U.S. industrial sector. Partner organization representatives will discuss RTC’s Renewable Thermal Vision and Industrial Electrification in U.S. States reports as well as associated policy and technical tools available to help states and industries achieve their economic competitiveness, emissions reduction, and environmental protection objectives. Please register here and direct questions to industry@naseo.org.
  • U.S. DOE grants available for small and medium-sized manufacturers - DOE announced plans to invest up to $80 million underr the IIJA/BIL to suppport small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to implement recommendations from Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) and Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAPs) conducted between 2018 and 2023. These projects are meant to improve energy and material efficiency, enhance cybersecurity, increase productivity, deploy smart and advanced manufacturing technologies, and reduce waste and pollution at SMMs. Also, DOE is soliciting applications from third-party assessors interested in qualifying their assessments as "equivalent" to IAC assessments, which will make their clients eligible for these grants in future funding rounds. Please visit the announcement website to read more about the opportunity and register for a virtual “Objective Strategic Session (OSS) question and answer session to be held June 14, 2023 at 2 PM ET. Questions can also be e-mailed to info@energywerx.org.
  • Renewable Thermal Collaborative Expert Webinar: Leveraging Thermal Efficiency and Heat Recovery to Accelerate Industrial Decarbonization - June 29, 2023, 11:00am-12:00pm ET:  An expert panel, including Proctor & Gamble, PepsiCo, Armstrong International, and Thermal Energy International will discuss thermal efficiency, waste heat recovery, and related strategies as drivers and accelerators of renewable thermal deployments and industrial decarbonization. Click here for more information and to register.      
  • NEXT FORUM - NASEO Industrial/Manufacturing Working Group Forum on NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership and EPA ENERGY STAR Program for Industry - July 12, 2023, 3:00-4:30pm ET: This Forum will feature presentations on technical assistance, tools, and resources to help American industry offered through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEP) and the EPA's ENERGY STAR program. MEP is a public-private partnership with Centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico serving small- and medium sized manufacturers. ENERGY STAR helps U.S. industry to enhance energy management through partnerships, tools, and other resources. The Forum will include time for state exchange and discussion. Please direct questions to industry@naseo.org (registration page pending). Forum limited to state participants.
  • Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit Program (48C) - The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, in partnership with DOE, announced up to $4 billion in a first round of tax credits for projects that expand clean energy manufacturing and recycling and critical materials refining, processing and recycling, and for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions at industrial facilities. Approximately $1.6 billion of this allocation will be set aside for projects in designated energy communities. The program will provide an investment tax credit of up to 30% of qualified investments for certified projects that meet prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.  
  • Industrial Innovation Initiative (i3) new report: The Landscape of Clean Hydrogen: An Outlook for Industrial Hubs in the United States
  • EPIXC (Electrified Processes for Industry Without Carbon) - DOE selects new Manufacturing USA Institute at Arizona State University
  • Renewable Thermal Collaborative: 20 state level industrial factsheets build on RTC's Industrial Electrification in U.S. States report that examines techno-economic issues and GHG emissions reduction potential for electrifying key industrial subsectors.
  • DOE FOA: $54 Million to Expand Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) and Create Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs) - DOE's Offices of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) and State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to establish new Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) at community colleges, trade schools, and union training programs, as well as to create new Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs) at institutions of higher education, including Tribal colleges and universities. The new IACs will focus on high-quality skilled trades job pathways in fields such as industrial electrician, energy management, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing, while providing hands-on support to small and medium manufactures. The new BTACs will expand these benefits to commercial and institutional buildings to help lower utility costs and allow companies to reinvest in businesses, employees, and community services. BTACs will train students and workers as engineers, architects, building scientists, building energy permitting and enforcement officials, and building technicians in energy-efficient design and operation. The IAC and BTAC programs will provide services in historically underserved communities and support DOE’s work toward honoring the President’s Justice40 Initiative. An informational webinar on the funding opportunity was held on April 18, 2023.  Concept papers were on May 25, 2023, with full applications due on July 31, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET.  
  • State Manufacturing Leadership Program FOA - The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) announced $50 million in funding to States under the IIJA/BILre Law (BIL)) to accelerate use of smart manufacturing technologies. The State Manufacturing Leadership Program supports new or expanded State programs that enable small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to increase their use of smart manufacturing and high-performance computing (HPC) technologies and tools. Smart manufacturing technologies provide real-time data and insight that SMMs can use to reduce costs by optimizing energy management, productivity, and energy efficiency. HPC resources can enable faster and more accurate modeling, simulation, and data analysis to solve technological problems and reduce costly “trial and error” steps during development. The Program will provide up to $2 million to States on a competitive basis over a three-year term and will require at least a 30% cost match. The FOA, FAQ, instructions for joining the Program’s Teaming Partner List, and other information are at the Clean Energy Infrastructure eXCHANGE. (State Energy Offices and other state agencies/instrumentalities are eligible applicants.) 

  • U.S. DOE Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) FY23 Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for applied RD&D focused on cross-sector approaches for industrial decarbonization (e.g., thermal processing, low-carbon fuels utilization, and exploratory cross-sector topics) and high-GHG-emitting subsectors (e.g., chemicals, iron and steel, food and beverage, cement and concrete, and forest products). Concept papers were due April 17, 2023, with full applications due June 23, 2023.
  • U.S. DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement for Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Program: Financial assistance to small- and medium-sized manufacturers in energy communities to 1) establish new facilities or 2) re-equip or expand existing facilities for the manufacturing or recycling of advanced energy property. Concept papers were due March 14, 2023, with full applications due June 8, 2023. (See also March 1 Working Group Forum presentation and recording.)
  • U.S DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement for Industrial Demonstrations: ~$6 billion for up to 50% of the cost for first-of-a-kind or early-stage commercial-scale projects from the highest emitting industries involving cross-cutting technologies that have the greatest potential, directly or indirectly, to achieve significant decarbonization domestically and globally.  Concept papers were due April 21, 2023, with full applications due August 4, 2023. (See also March 1 Working Group Forum  presentation and recording.)

Programs and Resources

Working Group materials

  • NASEO Industrial/Manufacturing Working Group Forum on Industrial Assessment Centers and Complementary TA Programs, May 3, 2023.  U.S. DOE presented on the DOE-supported Industrial Assessment Centers, including its services and planned program enhancements and expansion. The Forum also included discussion of complementary technical assistance programs (CHP/Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships, DOE Better Plants) as well as perspective from the University of Utah-based Intermountain IAC on IAC-State Energy Office collaboration. Discussion of state support for industrial energy assessments occurred during state exchange portion of the program. Slides here and recording pending.
  • NASEO Industrial/Manufacturing Working Group Forum: DOE Advanced Energy Manufacturing Grants and Industrial Demonstrations Programs and Connecticut Focus (March 1, 2023) - presentation and recording

U.S. Department of Energy

  • Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office supports innovation in technologies and the adoption of practices to enable the industrial sector to cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office researches, develops, and demonstrates next-generation materials and manufacturing technologies needed to increase U.S. industrial competitiveness and to drive economy-wide decarbonization. AMMTO supports the national plan to revitalize American manufacturing, secure critical supply chains, and develop diverse innovation ecosystems leading to new manufacturing jobs and increased economic strength of the nation.
  • Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains is responsible for strengthening and securing manufacturing and energy supply chains needed to modernize the nation’s energy infrastructure and support a clean and equitable energy transition.
  • Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations was established as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to accelerate clean energy technologies from the lab to market and fill a critical innovation gap on the path to achieving our nation’s climate goals of net zero emissions by 2050. Its mission is to deliver clean energy demonstration projects at scale in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment, market adoption, and the equitable transition to a decarbonized energy system.
  • Loan Program Office
  • DOE Technical Assistance, Tools, and Resources
    • Industrial Assessment Centers - Small- and medium-sized manufacturers may be eligible to receive a no-cost assessment provided by DOE Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs). Teams located at 37 universities around the country conduct the energy assessments to identify opportunities to improve productivity and competitiveness, reduce waste, and save energy. Contact the closest IAC location about receiving an IAC assessment.
    • Better Plants works with leading U.S. manufacturers and wastewater treatment agencies to set ambitious energy, water, waste, and carbon reduction goals and commit to reducing energy intensity by 25% over a 10-year period across all U.S. operations. By partnering with industry, the Better Plants program aims to help leading manufacturers boost efficiency, increase resilience, strengthen economic competitiveness, and reduce their carbon footprint through improvements in energy efficiency.
    • Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnerships (CHP TAPs) promote and assist in transforming the market for CHP, waste heat to power, and district energy technologies/concepts throughout the United States.
    • Energy Management Programs, including 50001 Ready program the recognizes facilities and organizations that attest to the implementation of an ISO 50001-based energy management system. The program is a self-paced, no-cost way for organizations to build a culture of structured energy improvement that leads to deeper and sustained savings that does not require any external audits or certifications.
    • Software tools for energy and water management, systems and equipment management, and decarbonization.
    • DOE Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap

Other Programs

Other Organizations and Resources

Selected Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Provisions

Selected Inflation Reduction Act Provisions