The "IMPACT Act" aims to reduce emissions from cement, concrete, and asphalt production through research, development, and demonstration of advanced technologies.
Max Miller
Representative
OH-7
The IMPACT Act aims to reduce emissions from cement, concrete, and asphalt production through the creation of an "Advanced Cement, Concrete, and Asphalt Production Research Program." This program will support research, development, and demonstration of advanced technologies for low-emissions production, and foster collaboration between government, industry, and universities. The goal is to enhance U.S. industrial competitiveness, strengthen supply chains, and create jobs in the process. The program is set to sunset after seven years.
| Party | Total Votes | Yes | No | Did Not Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | 218 | 142 | 73 | 3 |
Democrat | 213 | 208 | 0 | 5 |
New Program Aims to Cut Construction Emissions: IMPACT Act Funds Green Concrete & Asphalt R&D
The IMPACT Act kicks off a new federal effort called the "Advanced Cement, Concrete, and Asphalt Production Research Program." The main goal? To figure out how to make these essential building materials – the stuff of our roads, bridges, and buildings – with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. It's about boosting American industry, making supply chains stronger, cutting pollution, and potentially creating new jobs in the process.
Building a Greener Foundation
So, how does this work? The Department of Energy gets the lead, tasked with developing a 5-year strategic plan (updated every couple of years) to guide the research. They'll be digging into key areas like:
- Carbon capture: Technologies specifically for cement, concrete, and asphalt production.
- Alternative materials & fuels: Finding ingredients and energy sources that pollute less.
- Energy efficiency: Making the production process itself require less energy.
- Advanced computing: Using tech to model and optimize low-emission methods.
The focus is on developing smarter, cleaner ways to produce the literal foundation of our infrastructure.
From Lab Bench to Building Site
This isn't just about lab experiments. The Act pushes for real-world demonstrations of these new "advanced production" methods for what it calls "low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt." This means partnerships involving the Department of Transportation (think roads), the General Services Administration (think federal buildings), plus industry players, universities, and national labs. The idea is to test these greener materials across different regions and technologies, ideally leveraging matching funds to stretch the impact.
They'll also offer technical assistance – like help with data collection, lifecycle assessments (measuring environmental impact from start to finish), and navigating regulatory processes – to encourage the commercial use of successful low-emissions technologies.
The Clock is Ticking
This research program isn't permanent; it has a built-in end date, set to wrap up seven years after the Act becomes law. It emphasizes using existing research facilities and coordinating efforts across different government branches and potentially specialized manufacturing institutes. Importantly, while it aims to develop cleaner tech, the Act specifically notes it doesn't change the government's existing authority to set environmental standards for these materials. The focus is squarely on fostering innovation to give the construction sector lower-emission options down the road.