State Support Center State Industrial Group 

Organizations & Contacts

Updated September 15th, 2025

This document provides a structured overview of organizations working on industrial modernization that participate in the State Support Center (SSC) industrial working group focused on state government technical assistance support. An overview of the SSC working group can be found here. Have questions about this group? Reach out to sandie@S2strategies.org. 

Purpose of the Group
The State Industrial Group exists to support states in achieving and driving progress towards industrial modernization goals. It serves as a collaborative forum for state and federal partners, NGOs, and technical experts to:

  • Share implementation resources, tools and strategies for industrial modernization 

  • Coordinate on policy development, funding navigation, and advocacy strategies

  • Foster communication between experts and coordinators of state industrial policy

  • Hear about and share state best practices

ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy)

Primary Contacts:

  • Richard Hart - rhart@aceee.org

  • Anna Johnson - ajohnson@aceee.org

  • Archie Fraser - afraser@aceee.org

  • Andrew Hoffmeister - ahoffmeister@aceee.org

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Industrial electrification through heat pumps and thermal batteries. Member of the Industrial Heat Pump Alliance

  • Efficiency programs to reduce cost and right-size investment

  • Grid-edge support for increased industrial electrification (reliability and grid participation)

  • Embodied carbon in steel, aluminum, and other materials

  • Chemicals sector decarbonization (policy gaps identification)

  • Market transformation strategies for industrial decarbonization

  • Community solutions to increase local benefits and reduce risks

  • Federal policy expertise 

Support They Can Offer States:

  •  Map of industrial heat pumps and thermal batteries to help states identify opportunities

  • Technical assistance on industrial electrification technologies and grid integration

  • Support for PUC rate cases and regulatory proceedings on clean heat

  • Support for development of best-practice efficiency and decarb programs, including community engagement

  • Support for Buy Clean programs

  • Company connections for state industrial pipeline development 

  • Research-based policy development support with focus on market transformation

  • C4 advocacy work and Hill engagement capabilities

C2ES (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)

Primary Contacts:

  • Melissa Hulting - hultingm@c2es.org

  • Elina Vanuska - vanuskae@c2es.org

  • Tess Machi - machit@c2es.org

  • Tess Moran - morant@c2es.org

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Nonpartisan climate policy organization known for business-informed policy

  • Co-convener of Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC) : goal is scale up clean heat, especially in industrial settings

  • Expertise and connections to other RTC staff on industrial heat pumps, thermal energy storage, clean hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and solar thermal technologies

  • Federal and state policy to support industrial decarbonization

  • Also the Regional Clean Economies program, which convenes stakeholders to develop recommendations around clean energy issues and then elevate them through state and federal advocacy.

  • Climate Resilient Community Accelerator program.

Support They Can Offer States:

  • RTC presentations on renewable thermal technologies

  • Connections to industrial companies with a presence in states and renewable thermal solutions providers/developers

  • Utility and PUC engagement for industrial electrification barriers, including spark gap/rates

  • RTC membership is free for states—can participate in workgroups and connect with companies; MN and WI are current members and RTC would consider forming standalone state policy WG with enough participation

  • Direct engagement and brainstorming with state and local officials on industrial programs and actions

CAP (Center for American Progress) - Future of Green Industry Program

Primary Contacts:

  • Jamie Friedman - JVFriedman@americanprogress.org

  • Mike Williams - mwilliams@americanprogress.org

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Future of climate policy with emphasis on decarbonizing heavy industry

  • Intersection of climate movement and labor movement (steel workers and climate policy)

  • Political and policy feasibility analysis for industrial decarbonization pathways

  • Clean firm power integration with industrial policy

  • Messaging and platform development for industrial policy candidates

Support They Can Offer States:

  • "Race to the top" industrial policy development for competitive state positioning

  • C4 advocacy work and Hill engagement capabilities (limited and dependent on project specifics) 

CATF (Clean Air Task Force)

Primary Contacts:

  • Jeremy Tarr - jtarr@catf.us

  • Lindsay Cooper Phillips - lcooper@catf.us

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Sector-specific analysis, including refining, steel, cement, and pulp and paper.

  • State policy development focusing on red/blue states, expanding our focus in Texas, Louisiana, California, and others. 

  • CPRG support and Pennsylvania RISE PA program assistance

  • Hydrogen, CCUS, and clean power sector integration. Electrification and alternative fuels and production will be a focus in the future.

Support They Can Offer States:

  • State Low-Emission Industrial Policy Playbook and sector-specific reports

  • Technical assistance for CPRG implementation 

  • State policy and regulatory development support

  • Direct outreach, engagement, & education with state and local officials and industry leaders on decarbonization projects.

  • Understanding the positive/negative impact of federal incentives on in-state projects.

  • Briefing state officials on federal policy updates

Energy Innovation

Primary Contacts:

  • Sonali Deshpande - sonali@energyinnovation.org

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Industrial decarbonization policy analysis and research

  • Economic modeling of industrial policies

  • Clean energy transition strategies for industrial sectors

Support They Can Offer States:

  • Economic analysis and modeling for industrial decarbonization policies

  • Policy research and development support

  • Technical analysis of industrial decarbonization pathways

  • Informational resources on industrial decarbonization technologies and strategies - able to create or share slides, reports, briefs, and other resources that can support policy makers’ advocacy of certain policies/priorities.

Georgetown Climate Center

Primary Contacts:

  • James Bradbury - james.bradbury@georgetown.edu

  • Joshua Ash - joshua.ash@georgetown.edu

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Low-carbon materials in transportation infrastructure

  • Creating markets for sustainable pavement and other low-cost, innovative transportation infrastructure materials

Support They Can Offer States:

  • Convening state and local transportation agency practitioners — with industry and academic experts — to identify and share best practices.

  • Policy support and technical assistance on procurement and other strategies for creating markets for innovative transportation materials

GPI (Great Plains Institute)

Primary Contacts:

  • David Soll - dsoll@gpisd.net

  • Nate Morris - nmorris@gpisd.net

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) assessments and implementation support

  • Multi-state coalition building and coordination

  • States Deployment Initiative industrial workstream

  • Federal and state funding stream coordination

  • Conveners Network industrial decarbonization working group

Support They Can Offer States:

  • Multi-state coalition facilitation and coordination

  • CPRG alternative funding mechanism development

NESCAUM (Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management)

Primary Contacts:

  • Katharine Deuel - kdeuel@nescaum.org

  • Riena Harker - rharker@nescaum.org

  • Emily Levine - levin@nescaum.org

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Industrial heat electrification initiative

  • Regional coordination among northeastern states (and others)

  • Air quality and climate policy integration

  • Industrial sector emissions reduction strategies

Support They Can Offer States:

  • Regional multi-state coordination and collaboration

  • Industrial heat electrification technical assistance

  • Air quality regulatory expertise applied to industrial decarbonization

  • Best practices sharing among northeastern states (and others)

  • Policy development support for state and regional approaches

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Primary Contacts:

  • Christina Theodoridi - ctheodoridi@nrdc.org

  • Mikhail Haramati - mharamati@nrdc.org

  • Jaden Kielty - jkielty@nrdc.org

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Buy clean procurement policies (cement, concrete, steel)

  • Low Carbon Product Standards (LCPS) development

  • State legislation development in order of current capacity/priority

    • Tier 1: NY, WA, CA, CO, IL, NM

    • Tier 2: MI, VA, NJ, PA

Support They Can Offer States:

  • Buy Clean policy development and implementation support

  • State legislation drafting and advocacy (CO policy bills, IL buy clean initiatives)

  • Technical assistance on low-carbon cement standards and procurement

  • Coalition building and stakeholder engagement

  • Economic analysis and policy impact assessment

RMI 

Primary Contacts:

  • Hannah Thonet - hthonet@rmi.org

  • Molly Freed - mfreed@rmi.org

  • Evan Brooks - evan.brooks@rmi.org

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Low to medium heat electrification (MI, IL focus) and industrial decarbonization in Great Lakes region

  • Full temperature scale electrification (WA cap and invest integration)

  • CPRG implementation grant analysis and support

Support They Can Offer States:

Sierra Club

Primary Contacts:

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Industrial Transformation Campaign (manufacturing and trade focus)

  • Steel producing states (IL, MI, and other steel-producing states)

  • State policy options development for industrial transformation

Support They Can Offer States:

  • Industrial transformation policy development and advocacy

  • Sector-specific expertise in steel and manufacturing

  • State-level campaign support and organizing

  • Policy analysis and recommendations for industrial transformation

  • Coalition building and stakeholder engagement in key industrial states

USCA (US Climate Alliance)

Primary Contacts:

  • Kareem Hammoud - Khammoud@usclimatealliance.org

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Facility-level decarbonization incentives and standards

  • Buy clean policies

  • Industrial electrification and efficiency

  • Methane reduction and refrigerant transition

  • CPRG support and alternative financing mechanisms

  • Cross-cutting topics (load growth from large energy users, clean firm power/heat, workforce development, EJ) 

Support They Can Offer USCA States:

  • State-specific technical assistance funding for policy development and implementation

  • State and federal policy tracking and sharing

  • Policy resources and analysis (industrial decarbonization case study bank, policy guidebook, policy database, resource libraries) 

  • Forums for state best-practice sharing and policy coordination (bimonthly buy clean meetings, bimonthly industrial decarbonization working group meetings)

  • Coalition-building for multi-state initiatives

  • Federal comment letter coordination and support

  • Alliance-wide emissions analysis

  • Communications and social media support for state programs

UCSB (UC Santa Barbara) - 2035 Initiative

Primary Contacts:

  • Em Thomas - emthomas@ucsb.edu

  • Lucas Boyd - lucasboyd@ucsb.edu

  • Nate Mariano - nmariano@ucsb.edu 

  • Olivia Quinn - oquinn@ucsb.edu 

Focus Areas on Industrial:

  • Low and medium heat electrification in food & beverage, pulp & paper, and chemicals sectors

  • Engineering feasibility analysis for state-specific industrial sectors

  • Economic modeling of CAPEX subsidies and electrification scenario economics

  • State-specific industrial roadmap development (MN, MI, IL, OR, CO, PA, WA)

  • National roadmap and web tool development for industrial electrification filtering

Support They Can Offer States:

  • State-specific reports (10 pages or less): industry overview, engineering analysis, sector feasibility rankings for electrification

  • Technical plant analysis: accessible explanations of what happens inside plants during electrification transitions

  • Engineering expertise: detailed process flow diagrams and system change analysis to empower state officials

  • Economic modeling: CAPEX/OPEX  subsidy impact analysis and electrification economics

  • Technology database: explanations & capex price ranges of different electric heat technologies

  • Geothermal: expertise on geothermal applications for industrial decarbonization