Map and Analysis: Building a Strong Manufacturing Base for Clean Energy in the US
The clean technology supply chain analysis below can help federal and state policymakers, advocates, developers, journalists, and others trying to break down the complexity of domestic supply chains for clean energy. The map and spreadsheet below show how we can use new investments in the Inflation Reduction Act to bridge supply chain gaps and build a stronger, cleaner, and fairer industrial base for the clean economy in the U.S. Instead of hitching our climate goals to exploitative, vulnerable, and polluting production overseas, we have the means to build durable, equitable, top-to-bottom domestic supply chains for our clean energy future.
Map of the U.S. manufacturing base for clean energy: This interactive map showcases the breadth of communities that stand to benefit from new federal investments to expand clean technology manufacturing. Done right, this funding offers an opportunity to reinvest in hard-hit communities hollowed out by deindustrialization, energy transition, and chronic divestment. The map shows all known U.S. facilities that currently manufacture components for the solar, wind, energy storage/battery, electric grid, and building materials sectors. As we continue tracking new announcements, we will add additional sectors to our analysis including electrolyzers, geothermal, electric vehicles, and emissions intensive materials like steel, aluminum, and cement that go into solar panels and wind turbines. If you have trouble viewing the map, click here.
Spreadsheet of supply chain gaps for clean energy: This spreadsheet spotlights the biggest U.S. supply chain gaps that particularly need new federal investments so as to build more reliable, cleaner, and fairer supply chains for clean energy growth. The sheet quantifies the current degree of U.S. manufacturing capacity for each specific component in the solar, wind, energy storage/battery, electric grid, and building materials supply chains, revealing our most critical chokepoints.
Our approach builds on an indicator that the Department of Energy developed for assessing domestic manufacturing capacity and risks. For each component in these critical supply chains, we quantified current U.S. manufacturing capacity and assigned one of four categories:
- None: Domestic production meets 0% of domestic demand, or there are no known domestic facilities manufacturing this component.
- Limited: Domestic production supplies less than 25% of domestic demand, or there is evidence of one to two domestic facilities manufacturing this component.
- Moderate: Domestic production supplies between 25% to 75% of domestic demand, or there is evidence of three to six domestic facilities manufacturing this component.
- Significant: Domestic production supplies over 75% of domestic demand, or there is evidence of more than six domestic facilities manufacturing this component.
Based on our findings, we encourage the Biden administration to prioritize federal funding for components in the supply chains that have “zero,” “limited,” or “moderate” domestic production. Doing so will help to build our clean energy future on a foundation of good jobs, clean manufacturing, and a more reliable and equitable industrial base.