State pours $1.9 million into five firms to fix industrial carbon math

The Detroit Zoological Society and Bell’s Brewery are using new state grants to calculate how to reduce their heavy energy consumption. Michigan recently awarded nearly $1.9 million to five organizations to study the barriers to cutting industrial emissions. The funding aims to generate data that will shape future state policy and support for facilities.

The zoo received $260,000 to design a campus-wide energy model. Andy McDowell, the society’s director of sustainability and systems planning, said the funds allow the team to explore heat pumps and geothermal loops. These systems would remove warm air from polar bear and penguin exhibits and transfer it to buildings like the chimpanzee habitat. McDowell noted that the work may not have been financially possible without the grant, particularly as the zoo prepares for its 100-year anniversary in 2028.

Bell’s Brewery, acquired by New Belgium Brewing in 2021, received $350,000 for engineering design work in Comstock. Walker Modic, senior director of environmental programs for New Belgium, explained that breweries rely on gas-fired boilers for steam used in boiling wort and sterilizing glass. The grant will help the company test ways to recycle waste heat and electrify systems without increasing operating costs. Modic described the detailed planning as fiscally prohibitive without state support.

The state faces a complex challenge in decarbonizing heavy industry. While renewable energy and electric vehicles have grown, factories and large energy users have been slow to switch due to engineering hurdles and the low cost of natural gas compared to industrial electricity. This gap is especially pronounced for facilities that require intense heat for food, beverage, chemical, and construction production.

Alessandra Carreon, chief climate officer for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, said the grants clarify the specific obstacles to decarbonization. The state launched the Michigan Industrial Clean Innovation Partnership alongside the one-time grants. This coalition includes the five awardees, state agencies, research organizations, and investors. Carreon stated the network aims to outlast the current funding cycle and keep momentum going after participants finish their studies by August 2027.

Other recipients include Ford Motor’s vehicle-assembly plant in Wayne and the Michigan Green Building Collaborative in Grand Rapids. Michigan Technological University will partner with cement-maker Amrize to explore low-carbon materials in Monroe County. The state’s initiative is one of four green-energy programs under outgoing Governor Gretchen Whitmer designed to accelerate the push for full carbon neutrality by 2050.