About This Webinar
Industrial heat is one of the largest sources of emissions, and it is hard to abate. The equipment is expensive and has a long lifespan, processes are complex and there has been a lack of mature decarbonization technologies to reduce emissions. Now, however, the sector is at a turning point. Technology, policy, and engineering analysis have converged to open real paths toward decarbonization.
In this virtual discussion, we will unpack research on the electrification of industrial heat featured in the University of California, Santa Barbara’s 2035 Initiative. Joining us will be Dr. Eric Masanet, a faculty member of the Initiative, and Andrew Hoffmeister, Senior Research Analyst in the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s Industrial Program. Susan Kish, the CEO of Constructive, will moderate.
UC Santa Barbara’s 2035 Initiative is a ‘think-and-do’ tank that unites environmental policy research labs in the development of roadmaps for cutting climate pollution. Through the Initiative, empirical research, policy development, and media engagement support transformational policy change in the United States and worldwide.
Our virtual discussion will explore the electrification of low- and medium-temperature industrial heat, technologies that can cut emissions, improve public health, and that make economic sense.
This event is one of our CATALYZE Series of virtual discussions that connect to themes of the CATALYZE Summit, a two-day gathering in June in Detroit, Michigan, where engineers, researchers, and practitioners will convene to accelerate climate solutions across industry. CATALYZE is co-produced the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Constructive, a nonprofit reshaping cross-sector collaboration to advance clean energy and climate solutions.
For discussion
- Why decarbonizing industrial heat is critical to meeting climate goals
- The market landscape for electrified technologies
- Insights from the UCSB 2035 Initiative’s roadmap for industrial electrification
- Where electrification and energy efficiency offer the greatest emissions benefits
- What research reveals about pathways for industrial heat decarbonization and the technical capabilities of available technologies
- How policy, grid planning, and collaboration between academia, industry, and advisors like ACEEE can accelerate deployment
And you’ll have opportunities to engage with peers, ask technical questions, and apply insights within your own organization or research.
This webinar is a chance to dig into the engineering, economics, and systems thinking needed to decarbonize industry. At the same time, we are building momentum toward deeper engagement at the CATALYZE Summit. Learn more about CATALYZE and register for the summit at catalyze.asme.org.
Presenters
Dr. Eric Masanet
Dr. Eric Masanet is the Mellichamp Chair in Sustainability Science for Emerging Technologies at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Bren School, with a courtesy appointment in Mechanical Engineering. He leads the Industrial Sustainability Analysis Laboratory and is a Faculty Scientist in the Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Dr. Masanet previously headed the Energy Demand Technology Unit at the International Energy Agency and served as a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth and Seventh Assessment Reports and as a contributor to the Fifth and Sixth U.S. National Climate Assessments. He has also advised the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on industrial innovation and energy initiatives and served as the inaugural lead of the Industrial Emissions and Technology Coordination Program at the U.S. Department of Energy.
In 2024, he was appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy to its Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, with a specialization in sustainable manufacturing.
Andrew Hoffmeister
Andrew Hoffmeister is Senior Research Analyst for the Industrial Program at The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). He leads efforts to electrify industrial process heat and accelerate the deployment of technologies critical to this transition. His work centers on solving real-world problems by collaborating with multiple stakeholders and working directly with companies to transform markets and remove barriers to adoption.
Moderator
Susan Kish is the CEO of Constructive and the founding producer behind several major innovation and energy-focused convenings, including Deploy (U.S. Department of Energy), ROADMAP (National Science Foundation & Department of Commerce), the Innovation Agora at CERAWeek, and BloombergNEF’s Future of Energy Summits. She previously led Bloomberg’s Cross Platform Media Strategy team and served as Director at the nonprofit data platform Candid. Earlier in her career, she was Head of Structured, Project & Municipal Finance at UBS. She holds a B.A. in the History of Science from Harvard University.
Top image: Ant Rozetsky / Unsplash
