Clean industry

Green steel

Major US steel company backs away from plan to make green steel

Cleveland-Cliffs was going to outfit an Ohio plant with pollution-reducing tech. Now, to align with Trump’s priorities, the firm is turning back to fossil fuels.

By Alexander C. Kaufman . 17 June 2025
Clean industry

This startup turns steel and aluminum waste into usable metals

Chicago-area Sun Metalon removes gunk and grime from metal slivers normally thrown away, helping to reduce emissions from aluminum and steel production.

By Kari Lydersen . 9 June 2025
Clean industry

Trump deals a ‘big blow’ to clean heat with Energy Department cuts

The loss of $3.7 billion in funding for industrial decarbonization threatens efforts to replace large-scale fossil-fueled boilers with electric options.

By Alexander C. Kaufman . 6 June 2025
Green steel

Boston Metal forges path to commercialization for green steel process

Amid industry setbacks and federal funding losses, the company, which makes green steel without burning fossil fuels, has a robust plan for moving ahead.

By Sarah Shemkus . 5 June 2025
Green steel

Trump touts US Steel-Nippon Steel deal that could result in more coal

The Japanese steelmaker has pledged to extend the life of U.S. Steel’s dirty blast furnaces if Trump greenlights a deal, potentially locking in decades of pollution.

By Alexander C. Kaufman . 2 June 2025
Clean industry

Trump admin cuts $3.7B for industrial decarbonization and carbon capture

The decision will devastate ambitious efforts to cut emissions from heavy industry ranging from food production to chemicals.

By Jeff St. John . 30 May 2025
Green steel

Chart: US steelmaking is slowly getting cleaner

None of the new steel and ironmaking capacity planned for the U.S. is coal-fired — but old, dirty units aren’t going anywhere, either.

By Dan McCarthy . 30 May 2025
Clean industry

A new, low-carbon way to make chemicals, without the big, dirty factories

Startup OCOchem has built factory-assembled “artificial photosynthesis” cells to make formate, a widely used chemical now produced with fossil fuels.

By Jeff St. John . 29 May 2025
Clean industry

How states can pick up the slack on industrial decarbonization

States can’t replace the billions in funding the Trump administration is trying to claw back, but they have options for keeping up momentum on cleaning up industry.

By Jeff St. John . 22 May 2025
Fossil fuels

Some of the most polluted US cities are home to coal-based steel plants

Seven factories still use blast furnaces — and worsen pollution in the cities they are located, according to an analysis by climate research group Industrious Labs.

By Alexander C. Kaufman . 21 May 2025