For decades, steel mills have been the cornerstone of economic power in America's manufacturing heartland, crafting iconic skyscrapers, powering our cars, and propelling the machinery that defines our daily lives. Yet, hidden beneath this industrial strength lies a cost — toxic air and water pollution that adversely impacts nearby communities, deepening the climate emergency.

At the center of this pollution is the blast furnace, a 14th-century technology that burns massive amounts of coke made from coal to make iron and steel. In the U.S., eight facilities clustered around the Great Lakes region still make steel this way. Each facility emits roughly as much carbon dioxide as a coal-fired power plant.

The good news is that fossil-free steel is possible today. A proven method of ironmaking known as direct reduced iron (DRI) can be powered by green hydrogen to produce fossil-free steel. On top of this, newer technologies like molten oxide electrolysis are moving closer to being market-ready.

Regional analysis from Indiana and Pennsylvania show that failure to invest in green steel means risking jobs and economic growth. Our polling from Indiana and Pennsylvania in February 2023 demonstrated widespread support for sustainable steel production, with a vast majority of voters in these states in favor of federal investments in transforming the industry.

Other countries, from Namibia to Sweden, are already constructing green steel plants. However, the U.S. has no plans for new facilities, and existing DRI plants in the US are reliant on methane with no plans to transition to green hydrogen. What’s worse: the industry desperately needs to transition to meet climate goals, but major U.S. steelmakers like Cleveland-Cliffs are investing in retrofit projects, each totalling hundreds of millions of dollars, that will extend the life of dirty, coal-burning steel mills for decades to come. Rather than retire or retrofit, we must reinvest in these mills with new technology that relies on green hydrogen and clean energy. If steel companies fail to seize this moment, the U.S. risks being left behind in the green steel boom.