Murray Announces $3.2 Million Award for WSU Project to Reduce Industrial Emissions  

U.S. industrial sector accounts for one-third of all energy-related domestic greenhouse gas emissions and is among the most difficult to decarbonize; WSU was one of only 40 projects selected nationwide to receive funding

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray announced this week that Washington State University in Pullman will receive $3,239,240 from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) for a project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector. The project at WSU was one of only 40 projects selected nationwide to receive funding from this opportunity, which is being led by EERE’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO). The U.S. industrial sector accounts for one-third of all energy-related domestic greenhouse gas emissions and is among the most difficult to decarbonize.

In total, IEDO announced $135 million for 40 projects to reduce carbon pollution from the industrial sector and advance innovative technologies that will help move the nation toward a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. The funding comes from the Fiscal Year 2023 government spending bill, which Senator Murray was a leader in passing. The project at WSU focuses on decarbonizing cement and concrete with next-generation cement formulations and technologies to address CO2 emissions generated by the U.S. cement industry. Overall, the investments announced by IEDO will help decarbonize industry and revitalize American manufacturing, in turn creating good-paying jobs and improving community health. 

“Decarbonizing our nation’s industrial sector is critical to achieving our climate goals,” said Senator Murray. “It’s exciting that Washington state is continuing to lead the way in innovative research to help us tackle the climate crisis—and I want to congratulate WSU for being among a select few to receive funding awards in this competitive grant process.”

“America’s industrial sector serves as the engine of the U.S. economy, producing many of the products we rely on every day, but also produces a significant amount of the nation’s carbon emissions,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “These projects funded by President Biden’s Investing in American agenda will slash industrial emissions and accelerate next-generation technologies for a clean energy future that’s made in America.”

More information about each of the 40 decarbonization projects announced by IEDO is here.

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