Electricity has become the primary means of power to help fight global warming. Vehicles, buildings and many of the appliances inside them are being converted to electricity to decrease the reliance on fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions.

Recent data from the American Council on an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) shows another sector that is converting to electricity. A new interactive map published in February 2025 by the nonprofit research group shows that industrial electrification is also gaining momentum.

The ACEEE notes that electrification of low- and medium-temperature processes can help manufacturers improve efficiency and stabilize and reduce costs. The council’s map shows that American manufacturers are beginning to adopt industrial heat pumps (IHPs) and thermal batteries to help power their industrial processes.

According to the ACEEE, the production and use of process heat accounts for as much as 51% of on-site industrial energy use in the United States. However, electricity supplies a very small percentage of that energy at less than 5%. On the other hand, carbon-intensive fossil fuels such as natural gas make up the rest.

Several types of commercially available, electrically powered IHPs can provide process heat to replace much of the fossil fuels used in industrial operations, and this conversion could dramatically reduce emissions. IHPs can provide much of the process heat needed in many industries, including food and beverage manufacturing, pulp and paper, and chemicals.

ACEEE research shows that IHPs can cut the energy use associated with industrial process heat by up to one-third and enable CO₂ savings of between 30 million and 43 million tons per year, which is equal to the emissions from up to 9 million gasoline-powered cars driven for one year. 

Thermal batteries offer another alternative. They store energy generated from renewable sources, like solar and wind, in the form of heat in a material that has a high thermal mass, like graphite or bricks. The heat can be stored for days, weeks and even months, then released on demand to fuel industrial processes. They are cheaper, longer-lasting and cleaner than lithium-ion batteries, which store energy as electricity.

ACEEE observes that its map, which shows installed and planned projects, “depicts a growing market with significant untapped potential” for industrial electrification. The highest concentrations of projects are in California, the Northeast and Midwest.

The most common processes featured in the map include lumber drying, dairy processing, food drying, food processing and cleaning-in-place (a process for cleaning equipment without disassembling) with hot water. However, ACEEE notes that electrification can be applied to all industrial subsectors.