9 projects receive $33 million in funding to decarbonize U.S. industrial sector
Nine projects with the goal of advancing concentrating solar-thermal (CST) systems technologies for solar fuel production and long-duration energy storage will receive $33 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The goal of this funding is to decarbonize U.S. industry through the use of solar technologies. Three of the projects focus on leveraging cheap heat from solar energy. The DOE asserts that these methods allow for the production of renewable fuels in a more cost-effective way than by using electricity and without the emissions from burning natural gas. Six of the projects concentrate on thermal energy storage technologies that can provide heat continuously or on demand. According to the DOE, this technology can be paired with a turbine to produce electricity or serve industrial processes that require heat.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, DOE continues to invest in the next-generation solar technologies we need to tackle the climate crisis and ensure American scientific innovation remains the envy of the world. With today’s announcement, DOE is supporting projects that will harness the sun’s energy to power NASA space missions, beer and wine production, and everything in between.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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