Transitioning the industrial sector to run on clean, renewable energy through electrification is a critical strategy to decarbonize one of our economy’s largest-emitting sectors. But electric utilities and the power grid must be able to meet increased demand from electrified industries. Effectively managing this growing electrified load from industry requires new strategies and reliance on tried-and-true methods. On this episode, host Sara Baldwin speaks with Anna Johnson of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, co-author of Enabling Industrial Demand Flexibility: Aligning Industrial Consumer and Grid Benefits, to dissect the issues underpinning industrial electrification and the implications for utilities, industries, the grid, and state policymakers.

Guest Bios:

Anna Johnson is a Senior Researcher with the Industry Program for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, where she conducts research and analysis to support industrial decarbonization efforts. Her work focuses on enabling the use of variable renewable power by industry, strategic integration across approaches to supply and demand side energy management, and projects specific to steel, aluminum, and petrochemical manufacturing.

Prior to joining ACEEE, Anna worked at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, in the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program as a conservation planner and communication specialist. She developed public-facing reports and geospatial databases to help prioritize state-level conservation management and planning goals. Anna earned a PhD in geography and environmental systems from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a bachelor of arts in liberal arts from St. John’s College.

Electrifying News:

• Biden-Harris Administration Announces $20 Billion in Grants to Mobilize Private Capital and Deliver Clean Energy and Climate Solutions to Communities Across America (U.S. EPA)
• Consumers may soon get access to a share of $8.8 billion in Inflation Reduction Act home energy rebates (CNBC)
• Biden-Harris Administration finalized the strongest-ever pollution standards for cars that position U.S. companies and workers to lead the clean vehicle future, protect public health, address the climate crisis, save drivers money (U.S. EPA)
• New Regulations for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commercial Trucks & Buses (U.S. EPA)
• Biden administration finalizes new rules for power plants in one of its most significant climate actions to-date (CNN)
• Biden-Harris Administration Announces $6 Billion to Transform America’s Industrial Sector, Strengthen Domestic Manufacturing, and Slash Planet-Warming Emissions (U.S. DOE)

To dig in deeper, check out these must-read resources:

• Enabling Industrial Demand Flexibility: Aligning Industrial Consumer and Grid Benefits (ACEEE 2024)
• Electrification with Clean Power Is Key for a Growing, Competitive Industrial Sector (ACEEE 2024)
• Meeting Growing Electricity Demand Without Gas (Energy Innovation 2024)

 Order Zero-Carbon Industry book and get a 20% discount with code CUP20 when you purchase through Columbia University Press:

• Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity (2024)