The Industries of the Future Program: What's in it for Texas Industries?

Abstract

The purpose of the TEXAS INDUSTRIES OF THE FUTURE program is to facilitate the development, demonstration and adoption of emerging technologies that reduce industrial energy usage, emissions, and associated costs, resulting in improved competitive performance. The bottom line for Texas industry is savings in energy and materials, cost-effective environmental compliance, increased productivity, reduced waste, and enhanced product quality. The state program leverages the programs and tools of the federal Department of Energy's Industries of the Future. At the federal level, there are nine Industries of the Future: refining, chemicals, aluminum, steel, metal casting, glass, mining, agriculture, and forest products. These industries were selected because they supply over 90% of the U.S. economy's material needs and account for 75% of all energy use by U.S. industry. In Texas we will initially focus on chemicals, refining, forest products, agriculture, and electronics, because these constitute a significant portion of the value chain (from suppliers to customers) in the Texas economy. You can find out more about the TEXAS INDUSTRIES OF THE FUTURE program by visiting our web site at http://texasiof.ces.utexas.edu