New organization promotes huge potential of industrial waste heat to
provide zero emission electricity and increase U.S. competitiveness
Jul. 20, 2010 (Business Wire) -- Today American innovators and entrepreneurs launched a new organization called “Heat is Power” (www.heatispower.org) to spread the word about what they call the missing link to America’s clean energy future: generating zero emission electricity from industrial waste heat. Waste heat is created by industrial and oil and gas processes and is usually just thrown away, vented into the atmosphere. However, it is possible to capture that heat and use it to generate new, zero emission electricity for use onsite, or for sale to the electric grid.
An analysis of DOE and EIA data shows that developing the waste heat from American industry and oil and gas processing could lead to $25.3 billion of investment, create approximately 450,000 jobs, and save nearly 50 million tons of CO2 (the equivalent of taking over 8 million cars off the road). This market will boost U.S. competitiveness and keep American industry in America by providing a new source of profit, or cheap onsite clean electricity, for our industrial manufacturers. The majority of the nation’s waste heat is located in the Midwest, Southeast and Gulf Coast. Capturing and resourcing waste heat will create jobs and provide a much needed economic boost to these regions of the country.
Globally, no country is yet a leader in exports of this technology which can also be used to generate electricity from geothermal and solar thermal resources. American companies today can manufacture this technology with greater than 90% American content. Capturing the export market of this technology will catapult the United States in the global clean energy race and result in the creation of sustained American manufacturing jobs.
Waste heat to power is the sleeping giant of all the clean energy solutions. Innovators are confident once policymakers are familiar with this opportunity, we will see instant policy action.
Innovators, entrepreneurs, and developers of waste heat to electricity need your help to get word to our elected representatives in order to see waste heat appropriately recognized in the tax code as a renewable equivalent resource. Congress is tackling energy policy NOW, let’s make sure waste heat is included.
To learn more and join this initiative please visit www.heatispower.org
