Industry is currently responsible for more than one quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). To reach climate stabilization goals it is crucial that deep GHG reductions be made, with electrification being one of the major pathways as identified in DOE’s Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap. For industrial electrification to be beneficial, however, the energy that powers newly electrified processes must come from low-carbon or carbon-free sources, such as nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, or solar power. Prospects for new nuclear and hydroelectric supply, however, appear limited in the near future. As a result, most new non-fossil fuel power will come from wind and solar, which by their nature are “variable” or “intermittent” power sources. Strategies, capabilities, and tools that create flexibility for industrial facilities to increase their power use as desired when power is readily available and advantaged, and to decrease power use when supply is limited or disadvantageous (e.g., demand responsive loads) will be instrumental to the effective utilization of increased variable power on the grid.
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