Category: Blog

  • 2024: Winds of Change

    2024: Winds of Change

    As 2024 draws to a close, we celebrate a year of significant milestones for industrial decarbonization and the Industrial Innovation Initiative’s (I3) role in shaping the implementation of existing supportive laws and crafting next-generation policies. Encouraged by billions of dollars in tax credits and federal funding, the government at all levels took critical steps to…

  • New Report: The National Blueprint for a Clean & Competitive Industrial Sector 

    New Report: The National Blueprint for a Clean & Competitive Industrial Sector 

    Disclaimer: The use of this material does not imply endorsement by The Department of Energy or the United States Government. This week, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the White House Office of Science Technology Policy (OSTP) released The National Blueprint for a Clean & Competitive Industrial Sector. The announcement came during COP29, the annual…

  • EPA Awards $636 Million in Grants for Industrial Projects

    EPA Awards $636 Million in Grants for Industrial Projects

    On July 22, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $4.3 billion in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) to states, tribes, municipalities, and coalitions of these entities. Authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, the CPRG program supports the development and implementation of ambitious state and local plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air…

  • OCED Awards $6 Billion in Grants for Industrialization Decarbonization

    OCED Awards $6 Billion in Grants for Industrialization Decarbonization

    On March 25, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) at the Department of Energy announced that it had selected thirty-three projects to receive up to $6 billion in funding through the Industrial Demonstrations Program. Matching funds provided by recipients will generate a total investment of more than $20 billion in these projects. The awards…

  • Industrial Innovation Initiative Brings Industrial Decarbonization Recommendations to Capitol Hill

    Industrial Innovation Initiative Brings Industrial Decarbonization Recommendations to Capitol Hill

    Industry, labor, and nonprofit representatives recently headed to Capitol Hill to advocate for federal policies that can put the industrial sector on track to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, both a national and global goal to curb the worst potential effects of climate change. The Industrial Innovation Initiative (I3), run by the Great Plains Institute (GPI)…

  • Hubs on the Horizon: Scaling Carbon and Hydrogen Decarbonization Solutions

    Hubs on the Horizon: Scaling Carbon and Hydrogen Decarbonization Solutions

    The Industrial Innovation Initiative (I3) and partners at Clean Air Task Force (CATF), the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), hosted its first in-person convening of participants and industrial decarbonization stakeholders on June 8, 2022, in Washington D.C. The event served as a forum to discuss the latest developments…

  • Decarbonizing Industry by 2050: A Federal and State Policy Blueprint

    Decarbonizing Industry by 2050: A Federal and State Policy Blueprint

    Minneapolis, MN/Washington, DC – A new report from the Industrial Innovation Initiative (I3), an industry-labor-NGO partnership, recommends a suite of policies for congressional and state action designed to help American industry decarbonize while retaining high-wage jobs, technological leadership and economic competitiveness. The report, Decarbonizing Industry by 2050: A Federal and State Policy Blueprint, is the…

  • Department of Energy Announces First Round of Hydrogen Hub Awards 

    Department of Energy Announces First Round of Hydrogen Hub Awards 

    The Industrial Innovation Initiative (I3) released the following statement today regarding the Department of Energy’s announcement that seven hydrogen hubs were selected to receive a total of $7 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program. This statement may be attributed to David Soll, Industrial Decarbonization Manager at the Great Plains Institute: “Today’s selection of seven…

  • Building a Decarbonized Steel Sector

    Building a Decarbonized Steel Sector

    Steel is woven into every aspect of our lives. It is the backbone of iconic monuments and buildings as well as everyday objects like cars and cookware. We have used steel for nearly 4,000 years because of its durability and versatility. What starts as iron ore is refined, impurities are removed, and carbon is added…

  • What does ‘green’ procurement mean? Initiatives and standards for cement and steel

    What does ‘green’ procurement mean? Initiatives and standards for cement and steel

    Decarbonizing cement and steel production will be critical to achieving national and global climate goals, but it has been slower than in other sectors – like transportation and power – for several reasons. One prominent reason is the role of carbon dioxide (CO2)-emitting chemical processes in steel and cement production. Alongside entrenched manufacturing practices, slow…

Senior Program Coordinator - Carbon Management, GPI

Carrie Danner joined the Great Plains Institute in 2023 and serves as the operations coordinator for the Carbon Management team. In her work, she supports all projects within the program to elevate operations, specifically in the grant making and event planning spaces. Carrie earned a bachelor’s degree from Knox College in environmental studies. Prior to joining GPI, she supported programs at the Conservation Corps of Minnesota & Iowa as their member experience administrator.

Carbon Management Program Associate, GPI

Alana joined GPI in 2024 as a program associate on the Carbon Management team, specifically supporting the Industrial Innovation Initiative, where she helps to advance industrial decarbonization through GPI’s consensus-building approach. Alana previously worked as an account executive at Jamf, where she helped current K-12 education customers improve and scale the management and security of their Apple device deployments. Alana has spent most of her professional years working with Minnesota nonprofits, including two years as an AmeriCorps member with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in community environmental studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Ankita Gangotra, Associate, WRI

Dr. Ankita Gangotra is an Associate in WRI’s US Climate Program, researching avenues to decarbonize the industrial sector, focusing on cement and steel decarbonization, environmental trade policies and international cooperation. Prior to joining WRI, Ankita was a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Foreign Service and the Department of Physics at Georgetown University. Her research looked at the readily available technology and policy options for upgrading low-carbon cement production in the United States. Ankita has an integrated Master's in Electronics Engineering with Nanotechnology from the University of York, UK (2015) and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Auckland, New Zealand (2020). During her time in New Zealand, Ankita interned at the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor looking into equity, diversity and inclusion policy options for New Zealand’s science, research and innovation workforce.

Carrie Dellesky, Program and Outreach Manager, Carbon Removal and Industrial Innovation, WRI

Carrie Dellesky is the Program and Outreach Manager for Carbon Removal and Industrial Innovation. She develops strategies to advance policies and practices for scaling up a suite of carbon removal approaches and decarbonizing the industrial sector. She engages allies and builds and expands partnerships to mobilize champions and enhance visibility, action and impact. She also leads communications to amplify research and thought leadership, including messaging, media relations, event planning, social media and digital strategy.

Zachary Byrum, Research Analyst, WRI

Zachary Byrum is a Research Analyst in WRI's U.S. Climate Program, where he provides technology and policy analysis for carbon removal and deep decarbonization. His work focuses on pathways to reduce industrial emissions as well as bolstering technological carbon removal. Prior to WRI, Zach was a research assistant in the Carbon Management Research Initiative at the Center on Global Energy Policy. In the preceding years, he served as White House Intern in the National Economic Council under the Obama Administration and then an assistant analyst at the Congressional Budget Office. Zach holds a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Goucher College.

Katie Lebling, Associate, WRI

Katie Lebling is an Associate in WRI's Climate Program where she works on research and analysis of technological carbon removal approaches and industrial decarbonization. Before joining WRI, she worked at The Asia Group, and interned at the Woodrow Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum and the Treasury Department’s Office of Environment and Energy. She holds a Master's degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Energy, Resources, and the Environment, where she spent one year of the program studying in Nanjing, China, and has a B.A. from Colby College in Biology and Chinese language.

Debbie Weyl, Deputy Director, WRI United States

Debbie Karpay Weyl is the Deputy Director for WRI U.S. She previously served as Manager for the Buildings Initiative at WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. She led an expanding global partnership to accelerate building energy efficiency in cities around the world. She also contributed to program management and development, research, and knowledge exchange for urban energy efficiency and sustainability. Debbie joined WRI from CLASP, a global non-profit organization that improves the environmental and energy performance of appliances, lighting and equipment. From 2011-2016 Debbie managed and developed global programs, led research projects, and facilitated collaboration among international experts and other representatives in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining CLASP, Debbie worked at the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, where she was a contractor supporting building efficiency and other energy efficiency programs in the United States. Debbie holds a Master of Science in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a B.A. in Politics (Political Economy and International Relations) from Princeton University.

Angela Anderson, Director of Industrial Innovation and Carbon Removal, WRI United States

Angela Anderson is the Director of Industrial Innovation and Carbon Removal in the Climate Program. She leads WRI's growing portfolio of work in industrial decarbonization and carbon removal and aims to change narratives around “hard-to-abate” sectors and promote the natural and technological interventions required to achieve net-zero targets. Prior to joining WRI, Angela worked as a program director, coalition builder, international advocate, and campaign strategist. She led the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists for ten years; facilitated US-NGO engagement in the international climate negotiations while at US Climate Action Network and at the Pew Environmental Trust; and founded Clear the Air, a national coalition to reduce pollution from power plants. Angela holds a B.A. in political science from Colorado State University.

Patrice Lahlum, Vice President of Carbon Management, GPI

Patrice Lahlum is the vice president of the Carbon Management program at the Great Plains Institute. The Institute, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, works with diverse stakeholders and communities across the country to transform the energy system to benefit people, the economy, and the environment. We strive to combine our unique consensus-building approach, expert knowledge and analysis, and local action to promote solutions that strengthen communities, shore up the nation’s industrial base, and enhance domestic energy independence, all while eliminating carbon emissions. Patrice oversees several initiatives including the Carbon Capture Coalition, Industrial Innovation Initiative, Carbon Action Alliance, and the Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative.

Kate Sullivan, Senior Program Coordinator, Carbon Management, GPI

Kate Sullivan joined the Great Plains Institute in 2019. As Senior rogram Coordinator, Kate uses her analytical and design skills to provide research, writing, and logistical support across the Carbon Management team. Prior to joining GPI, Kate worked as an Energy Counselor in the Center for Energy and Environment’s residential department, assisting homeowners with their energy needs and providing resources for efficiency upgrades. Kate earned her BA in Biology from St. Olaf College with an emphasis in Environmental Studies.

David Soll, Industrial Decarbonization Manager, GPI

David Soll joined the Great Plains Institute in 2023 and serves as Industrial Decarbonization Manager. He oversees the Industrial Innovation Initiative, a coalition advancing decarbonization solutions for the Midcontinent region’s most important industrial sectors. Prior to joining GPI, he taught history and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he focused on urban infrastructure and energy conservation. David earned a Master’s in government from the University of Texas at Austin and a PhD in history from Brandeis University.

Jill Syvrud, Senior Program Manager, Carbon Management, GPI

Jill Syvrud joined the Great Plains Institute in 2017 and serves as the program manager for the Carbon Management Program. In addition to overseeing the overall program, Jill directly supports the Industrial Innovation Initiative, a coalition advancing decarbonization solutions for the Midcontinent region’s most important industrial sectors. Jill earned a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and a master of science degree in science technology and environmental policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Jill’s past experience includes multiple graduate research assistantships concentrating on technology innovation and sustainable megacities along and a previous position as an administrative and outreach coordination intern with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.