On February 15, 2022, the Biden administration launched new initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the industrial sector, which accounts for nearly a third of domestic GHG emissions.[1] The initiatives use funds from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. As part of this effort, the Department of Energy (DOE) is launching three clean hydrogen initiatives: $8 billion for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs; $1 billion for a Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program; and $500 million for Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing and Recycling Initiatives. In addition, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy is establishing a Buy Clean Task Force to direct part of the federal government’s annual spending towards low-carbon materials manufactured domestically. The task force will include the departments of Defense, Energy and Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the White House Office of Management and Budget.

The CEQ also issued guidance to federal agencies on the responsible deployment of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration (CCUS) technologies. According to the press release, the administration is in talks with the European Union to reach an agreement to reduce trade in high-emissions steel and aluminum products.

[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/15/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-advances-cleaner-industrial-sector-to-reduce-emissions-and-reinvigorate-american-manufacturing/