Full Title: Industrial Electrification in U.S. States
Author(s): Ali Hasanbeigi, Lynn A. Kirshbaum, and Blaine Collison
Publisher(s): Renewable Thermal Collaborative
Publication Date: February 23, 2023
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The industrial sector accounts for about a quarter of energy use and GHG emissions in the U.S. While emissions from electricity generation continue to decline, thermal energy needs in industry, especially for process heating, are a significant challenge for climate change mitigation efforts. There is a significant opportunity to decarbonize the industrial sector by shifting away from carbon-intensive fossil fuels to clean sources such as electrification, where low- or zero-carbon electricity is used. Electrifying just the processes included in the study has the potential to realize significant emissions reductions throughout the country.
The report identifies specific processes that could be electrified in the near term with commercially available technologies and analyzes the expected changes in energy use, CO2 emissions, and energy costs. Understanding which conventional processes could be electrified and how this impacts emissions and costs can help industrial facilities identify which of their processes may be suitable candidates for electrification. In addition, understanding the potential growth in industrial electricity demand that will result from electrification can help utilities, grid operators, and electricity generators plan for these changes and ensure equipment and generation resources are available to meet the growing demand for renewable electricity.
Electrifying industrial processes and realizing these benefits will require a multifaceted effort to solve significant challenges in renewable electricity generation and transmission, technology development and deployment, and workforce development. This report recommends six impactful changes that would support increased industrial electrification: 1) Support demonstration of emerging electrification technologies and new applications of existing technologies, 2) Financially incentivize electrification, 3) Increase renewable electricity generation capacity, 4) Enhance the electricity grid, 5) Engage communities, and 6) Develop the workforce.