Industrious Labs

E&E News: Heavy industry competes with AI for grid access The sale of a Kentucky aluminum smelter to a data center shows the race for cheap power.

“There seems to be bipartisan interest in reshoring and revitalizing the aluminum industry. But unless action is taken to support electricity for heavy industry, it’s not going to be able to compete.” @anniesartor.bsky.social

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...

Unlocking industrial electrification in California A new study finds that California can achieve cleaner air, lower utility bills, and fewer climate emissions by modernizing the design of electricity rates.

Great stuff from @industriouslabs.bsky.social on rate design solutions to encourage electrification of industry in California. industriouslabs.org/archive/unlo...

Southern California air board rejected pollution rules after AI-generated flood of comments SoCal’s pollution authority scrapped a plan to phase out gas-powered appliances after receiving more than 20,000 emails sent by an AI-powered platform called CiviClick.

An AI-generated flood of comments killed clean air rules in SoCal that would have expanded pollution-free heat pumps. This manipulation of the public process is "deeply disturbing" and undermines legitimate democratic participation as the region considers 1146/1146.1. www.latimes.com/environment/...

Inola residents concerned about proposed aluminum smelter, citing environment and health risks Some Inola residents are raising concerns about a proposed aluminum smelter planned for the area, citing potential environmental and health risks.

Community concerns like these underscore a key lesson: any new industrial facility must be as clean and community-informed as possible. Clean production and strong community benefits agreements aren’t just good PR — they’re how projects earn trust and long-term success.
www.fox23.com/news/inola-r...

Coal country: too costly for factories, just right for data centers Kentucky's lost smelter opportunity shows how reliance on fossil fuel repels new jobs, attracts big servers and secret deals in the high tech race to be the biggest AI company. Is Madison County ready...

"We waited too long to build out our clean energy. We've got an aging fleet of coal-fired power plants, an aging grid, and we need projects to help with the investments." -Lane Boldman, Executive Director of the Kentucky Conservation Committee. www.theedgebereaky.com/coal-country...

How plans for a first-of-its-kind Kentucky aluminum smelter fell apart Kentucky lost a multibillion-dollar aluminum smelter project and 1,000 jobs to Oklahoma, despite state efforts. It could be a sign of future challenges for Kentucky's economic development.

Deep dive by @connorgiffin.bsky.social reveals a detailed timeline of how Kentucky ultimately missed out on the chance to host the country's first aluminum smelter in over 45 years.
"We should have no trouble in getting a project like this. And yet we did." www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Explore the Industrial Equity Mapper. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. We’re currently witnessing growing efforts to suppress information about how industrial pollution affects real people and real communities. Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...

Join us to explore the Industrial Equity Mapper! 📊

🗓 2/19
⏰ 1pm PT / 4pm ET

Learn how to leverage rigorous data + powerful community stories that document the health and economic realities that people living near industrial facilities face. us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Loss of green smelter highlights Kentucky’s need for clean electricity Century Aluminum chose Oklahoma, not Kentucky, for a new smelter. Some say it’s a "wake-up call" for the Bluegrass State to modernize – and decarbonize –…

Lane Boldman of the Kentucky Conservation Committee frames Kentucky’s loss of the new aluminum smelter as both a warning sign and a call to modernize the state’s energy system so it can compete for the next major industrial investment. www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

California has abundant solar power. Here’s how factories can use it. High electricity costs in California have slowed industrial decarbonization in the state. New industrial rates and other fixes could change that, experts…

“It’s been a huge barrier to electrification for manufacturers.” says Teresa Cheng of @industriouslabs.bsky.social. Even as surplus solar power grows, businesses face high electricity costs and demand charges. New industrial rate designs could change that. www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

Another data center project is coming to Kentucky. What to know A long-idle industrial site in Hancock County will be redeveloped into a data center campus, according to the company that owned the land.

This week made it plain: data centers are beating heavy industry in the fight for power. Century Aluminum just sold its Hawesville smelter site to a data center: proof that in today’s economy, whoever can pay more for electricity wins. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...

Kentucky passed over for big aluminum smelter project, which is going to Oklahoma

Cost of power drives aluminum plant from Kentucky to Oklahoma Kentucky was in line for the first aluminum plant in the country in decades. Instead, the project went to Oklahoma.

“But the bottom line was that aluminum is a heavy energy user industry, and it really comes down to the price of energy.”

Lane Boldman of the Kentucky Conservation Committee is right: Oklahoma's potential to power the smelter w/ clean energy is far more than Kentucky's.
www.weku.org/the-commonwe...

It takes two aluminum firms to build one power-hungry smelter,… Century Aluminum was eyeing Kentucky for a new smelter, but in a surprise move says it’s teaming up with Emirates Global Aluminium to build one in…

Century Aluminum & Emirates Global Aluminium are teaming up on a new aluminum smelter. Huge test of whether the companies can find affordable, clean power fast enough to actually build a low-carbon aluminum backbone in the U.S.
✍🏽 @mariagallucci.bsky.social

www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

TOMORROW!

Join BGA, @repmarcykaptur.bsky.social, @steelworkers.bsky.social & @uaw.org for a webinar on how GOP attacks on manufacturing hurt workers & communities. https://loom.ly/BzIXaYY

👷‍♂️ Dalton Ezell’s op-ed traces his path from the smelter floor to Missouri farm fields, where workers are still getting crushed by a broken power system — coal-fired electricity, rubber‑stamped rate hikes, and false promises that tariffs alone could save jobs. missouriindependent.com/2025/12/13/h...

Energy costs crushed my smelter job and now threaten Missouri farms • Missouri Independent Whether you’re smelting or farming, you’re fighting the same battle for affordable energy, steady pay and a future worth passing on.

Agricultural worker & former smelter employee Dalton Ezell is sounding the alarm on rising power costs. “The truth is, Missouri’s economy runs on the same current: whether you’re melting metal or tending crops, you need dependable electricity at a fair price.” missouriindependent.com/2025/12/13/h...

Energy costs crushed my smelter job and now threaten Missouri farms • Missouri Independent Whether you’re smelting or farming, you’re fighting the same battle for affordable energy, steady pay and a future worth passing on.

"Let’s stop pretending tariffs will rebuild our economy. The people who power Missouri — on the factory floor and in the fields — know what we really need: investment in affordable, modern energy that lets us work hard, earn fair, and stay rooted right here at home."

Battle over industrial boilers gets a new tool that you can use to combat pollution A new climate coalition is calling on air quality regulators to phase out 1,800 of these boilers at places like schools and hospitals.

Cato Hernandez at @LAist.com highlights a new map showing where SoCal’s largest industrial boilers are located — and why advocates want @southcoastqmd to adopt zero-emission rules before we lock in decades more pollution. Read it here: laist.com/news/climate...

Industrial Equity Mapper Stories of Industrial Pollution in the U.S.

@industriouslabs.bsky.social just released a powerful new tool that analyzes health, demographic, economic, and pollution data in communities impacted by industrial pollution across the US.

industriouslabs.org/issues/indus... 1/2

California has a new plan to decarbonize industry Quitting Carbon checked in with Teresa Cheng, California director at Industrious Labs, to talk about passage of AB 1280 and the race to decarbonize manufacturing in the Golden State.

Weekend reading: Learn about a new plan to decarbonize industry in California - responsible for 20% of the state's emissions - in my Q&A with @industriouslabs.bsky.social's Teresa Cheng: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/california-h... 🔌💡

California has a new plan to decarbonize industry Quitting Carbon checked in with Teresa Cheng, California director at Industrious Labs, to talk about passage of AB 1280 and the race to decarbonize manufacturing in the Golden State.

ICYMI: Learn about a new plan to decarbonize industry in California - responsible for 20% of the state's emissions - in my Q&A with @industriouslabs.bsky.social's Teresa Cheng: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/california-h... 🔌💡

AI’s power hunger is turning aluminium into America’s new strategic weak spot The US faces record aluminium demand, but AI’s soaring power consumption is crippling domestic smelters and turning the metal into a strategic weakness.

"The result is a paradox: a country experiencing its highest aluminum demand in modern history, yet unable to supply the metal that underpins the technologies it wants to lead."

Read up on AI’s rise and power strains while aluminum fights to stay relevant: www.alcircle.com/news/ais-pow...

(3/3) As the U.S. #aluminum industry evolves and potential new investments come to Oklahoma, there is an opportunity for proponents to describe how this smelter will boost jobs and the local economy, such as describing the project's good wages and family-supporting careers.

Oklahoma’s bright future: What residents think of a landmark aluminum smelter Oklahomans share what they think about the building of a new smelter in their state.

(2/3) In fact, 92% of those who support the buildout of the new smelter agree that jobs are important. 37% mentioned "jobs" in their reasoning.

Aluminum Campaign Director @anniesartor.bsky.social talks about the survey results in her article: www.linkedin.com/pulse/oklaho...

(1/3) When Oklahoma residents were asked why they support Emirates Global Aluminum's potential new #smelter in their state, the answer was clear: #jobs matter. 👷‍♂️

This figure shows how those who "support" or "somewhat support" the smelter rated the importance of smelter jobs.

Balancing the priorities of workers, unions, and environmental advocates creates solutions that protect both people’s wellbeing and the planet. 🤝⚙️ Listen to Dave Foster’s recent podcast feature with #resourcesforthefuture on the founding of BGA here: https://loom.ly/U3PTdcg

US Aluminium Smelting: How Energy Costs Shape Industry Competitiveness Explore how US aluminum smelting and energy costs shape America's industrial competitiveness and production viability.

"Clean power sources can provide substantial pollution reduction benefits whilst supporting community health improvements near production facilities."

A good breakdown of the economics of #aluminum smelting & the opportunity to re-power with renewables. discoveryalert.com.au/energy-produ...

Oklahoma residents want clean air and healthy environments. New survey data shows some who oppose a new #aluminum smelter cite environmental and health concerns.

Clean energy and community trust must come first. Read more about the survey from @anniesartor.bsky.social: lnkd.in/gCrSSFzi

Industrial Equity Mapper Stories of Industrial Pollution in the U.S.

Access to data and understanding the lived experiences of those closest to industrial pollution is the first step toward empowering individuals to take action for their futures. Learn more: industrialequitymapper.org

From the Greater Birmingham area to Contra Costa, communities shared that they want better locally sustained infrastructure, more local decision-making for industry, and government accountability. /6