The heat treating industry is under pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), and the response has been a noble effort to attain sustainability. In 2024, Heat Treat Today published a series of articles by guest columnist Michael Mouilleseaux, general manager at Erie Steel, Ltd., regarding the U.S. Department of Energy’s initiative related to the decarbonization of industry and its potential impact on the heat treating industry.
This update was first published in Heat Treat Today’s February 2025 Air & Atmosphere Heat Treating Aerospace print edition in response to recent changes in the U.S. administration. To catch up on previous columns by Mike, check these out: “US DOE Strategy Affects Heat Treaters“ appeared in the March 2024 Aerospace print edition; “U.S. DOE Strategy: Ramifications for Heat Treaters” appeared in the May 2024 Sustainability print edition; and “US DOE Strategy: Why the Heat Treating Industry?” appeared in the June 2024 Buyer’s Guide print edition.
As described in previous articles, President Joe Biden issued an executive order in 2021 that committed the federal government through the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce GHGE attributable to “process heating” by 85% by 2035 and attain net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
These goals were to be achieved by implementing four largely unproven technologies:
- Energy efficiency
- Industrial electrification (using green electricity)
- Adoption of low-carbon fuels (e.g., hydrogen), feedstocks, and energy sources (LCFFES)
- Carbon capture, utilization and storage at the generated source (CCUS)
We further described the negative effect the implementation of these efforts would have on the heat treating industry — specifically, an increase in energy costs from 4x to 15x, with a companion reduction in energy reliability. This is not the combination that portends success in business.
In November of 2024, the people of the United States made a statement. They decided the direction of the country for the past four years was not what they wanted and chose another path, a path they chose based on what they had experienced from 2017 through 2020. As it pertains to industrial policy, they knew that reduced regulation and policies favorable to business growth were the guiding principles.
What may we reasonably expect from a Trump administration relative to this Industrial Decarbonization Effort?
At a minimum, we should expect a sober understanding of the issues and agreement that any low-carbon replacement energy technologies will come with the assurance they are cost competitive with current sources, and that they will be reliable and secure.
Is this to say that all efforts toward the achievement of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) should be abandoned? Absolutely not, however, they should not be implemented with a religious zeal that places implementation above practicality. We need to recognize that if our way of life is to be maintained, these changes will be evolutionary — not revolutionary.
Should we anticipate this effort to revise the “timing” of GHGE reductions will be easy to achieve? It will not; the Biden administration has made every effort to obligate a maximum amount of the funding from the IRA earmarked for “clean energy,” understanding any funds not so obligated can be rescinded. Additionally, a concerted effort to place these funds in Republican states was made to make any recission as politically painful as possible for the incoming administration.
The incoming administration has made it clear they will scrutinize all existing funding sources that support those clean energy initiatives that distort and undermine energy independence and reliability. They have stated they intend on immediately pausing all regulatory activities until they have the opportunity to review them. They intend on rescinding all executive orders that further the clean energy agenda.
Do we have a part in this? Yes, our industry, although crucial to the manufacturing community and national security, has very little visibility. Now is the time to act and to let our representatives and senators know how important it is to pause, if not reconfigure, this Industrial Decarbonization Initiative to assure our businesses remain vibrant and vigorous.
About the Author:
General Manager
Erie Steel, Ltd
Michael Mouilleseaux is general manager at Erie Steel, Ltd. He has been at Erie Steel in Toledo, OH since 2006 with previous metallurgical experience at New Process Gear in Syracuse, NY, and as the director of Technology in Marketing at FPM Heat Treating LLC in Elk Grove, IL. Michael attended the stakeholder meetings at the May 2023 symposium hosted by the U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.
For more information: Contact Michael at mmouilleseaux@erie.com.
