Middletown Works Investments Showcase How Biden-Harris Industrial Policy is Promoting Innovation in Manufacturing
September 27, 2024
This announcement comes on the heels of news that several other facilities received funding for their first phase. The awarded projects include:
- Construction and operation of a carbon capture system at the Heidelberg Materials US cement plant in Mitchell, Indiana;
- A low-carbon SmartMelt Furnace conversion at a Constellium plant in Ravenswood, West Virginia; and
- A project to electrify the only production facility for high-silicon grain oriented electrical steel (GOES) in the United States at the Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works facility in Butler, Pennsylvania.
All project developers were required to include a robust community benefits plan in their applications for IDP funds. Community benefits plans allow applicants to plan for and address the needs of workers and communities, to create transparency around project development, and to ensure projects are in step with local priorities.
Following the announcement, the BlueGreen Alliance released a statement from Executive Director Jason Walsh:
“The historic investment made in our manufacturing sector by the Biden-Harris administration has set the stage for a new era of manufacturing in our country—securing existing union jobs, creating new jobs, and reducing the emissions that drive climate change. For example, the Middletown DRI project provides a pathway for creating low-carbon steel at new and existing facilities, which increases U.S. competitiveness on the global iron and steel market and maintains the good-paying, safe jobs synonymous with domestic manufacturing. We’re excited for the first phase of these projects to begin and look forward to seeing their innovations spread to other facilities across the country.”