Michigan Teams with Argonne National Laboratory on Clean Energy

The state of Michigan is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory to potentially develop a “cleaner and more resilient Michigan economy.”
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The state of Michigan is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory to potentially develop a “cleaner and more resilient Michigan economy.”

The partnership focuses on researching, developing, demonstrating, and deploying technologies in four areas: industrial decarbonization, battery manufacturing and recycling, workforce development, and future mobility systems planning.

The partnership investment decisions involving the possible decarbonization of Michigan’s industrial base, which includes manufacturing products such as iron and steel, cement, chemicals, forest products, and furniture, will seek to utilize Argonne’s expertise in energy efficiency, industrial electrification, low-carbon fuels, and carbon capture and storage.

“As a national laboratory, Argonne is uniquely positioned to provide research-backed insights to support Michigan’s efforts,” says Claus Daniel, associate laboratory director for Advanced Energy Technologies at Argonne. ​“We look forward to applying our expertise to support the state as it seeks to grow investment in key sectors and prepares a diverse talent pipeline for emerging sectors.”

Argonne’s energy storage research — focused on reducing dependence on critical materials, facilitating sustainable resource recovery, discovering new lower-cost and higher-energy density materials, and enabling safe fast charging — will be used to guide decisions made by Michigan as it advances expansion in battery manufacturing and assembly, says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“Similarly, the laboratory’s workforce training and career development models, developed through more than 30 years managing DOE’s advanced vehicle technology competitions, will aid Michigan’s efforts to train and reskill workers for next-generation industries,” says Daniel.

As Michigan seeks to decarbonize transportation through public transit and mobility solutions like car sharing and bike and walking infrastructure, Argonne’s software and systems simulation workflows will help assess impacts of various solutions.

“Argonne is thrilled to partner with the Michigan Economic Development Corp.,” says Paul Kearns, director of Argonne. “Together, we will help deploy the industrial decarbonization and sustainable transportation technologies that are needed for a clean-energy future. Through this agreement, Argonne will further its commitment to accelerating science that drive U.S. prosperity and security.”