National Mission for Clean Steel

This national mission for Clean Steel is one of more than a dozen that comprise the New Consensus Mission for America. These missions are designed to work together to form a comprehensive solution for getting to net-zero emissions while building a more prosperous economy for all. They are designed to be ambitious but realistic, given one condition: that America elects federal leaders who are committed to renewing the U.S. economy while getting to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible.

Introduction

This document provides a blueprint for the National Mission for Clean Steel, outlining the key policies, programs, and actions needed to transition the American steel industry to producing low-carbon steel. Unlike the full report, which details industry context, challenges, and implementation, this blueprint focuses on the actionable framework for success.

These mission blueprints are intended for industry experts, policymakers, and other readers who need a clear, accessible way to absorb the key elements of each plan. They do not include the background information, industry context, or in-depth analysis found in the full-length national mission chapters. While we encourage all readers — especially policymakers — to explore the complete reports for a deeper understanding of the industries and solutions involved, we recognize that many professionals may not have the time to do so. These summaries are designed to offer a more digestible version of each mission's core goals and strategies.

Each blueprint begins with three brief overview sections introducing the Mission for America, the role of the president, and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. These topics are explored in much greater detail in the Mission for America introduction. Readers who have already reviewed that material — either in the introduction or in another mission summary — may wish to skip directly to the section titled The National Mission for Clean Steel.

The National Mission for Clean Steel

The global steel industry is on the cusp of the most significant transformation in centuries. Steel production, accounting for 7% of global carbon emissions, has long been one of the toughest sectors to decarbonize. As global demand continues to rise over the coming years, so too will the industry's emissions. However, breakthroughs in low-emission steel technologies and growing political and market pressure to cut industrial emissions have made a large-scale transition inevitable. The global race to lead in clean steel is about to begin.

Today, steel is produced using several methods. Most primary steel production — making new steel from iron ore — uses coal-based blast furnaces. Blast furnaces use coal as both a heat source and a chemical-reducing agent. As a result, the process is highly emissions-intensive and is responsible for most of the industry's annual emissions. An increasingly popular alternative to primary steel production is recycled steel. Recycled steel is produced by melting scrap steel in electric arc furnaces (EAFs). Recycling steel in EAFs generates near-zero emissions when powered by clean electricity. EAFs already produce 30% of the world's steel and 70% of U.S. steel. However, there is insufficient scrap steel to meet the world's growing demand alone. Therefore, low-emission primary steel production is needed to meet demand and lower emissions.

Based on the existing technology, the most promising solution is green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) paired with EAFs. While various low-emission primary steel production methods exist, most are costly, commercially unproven, or difficult to scale. Deploying green hydrogen DRI at scale also presents real challenges, but the process has many benefits that make it the best pathway to reducing emissions. For example, green hydrogen production yields almost no emissions when produced. Unlike alternatives such as carbon capture retrofits, which mitigate emissions, green hydrogen DRI eliminates fossil fuels from the steelmaking process.

Deploying hydrogen DRI at scale comes with significant challenges. The high cost of hydrogen, insufficient infrastructure for hydrogen production and distribution, and the lack of DRI plants equipped to use hydrogen all present obstacles to rapid deployment. Additionally, only a limited supply of high-grade iron ore is currently suitable for use in DRI processes. Steel industry leaders have repeatedly cited these challenges as a reason to delay the transition to clean steel production. Although these challenges are real, the barriers to green hydrogen DRI adoption are primarily economic rather than technological. Large-scale capital mobilization—through private investment and public financing — can drive down costs, expand hydrogen infrastructure, and build the necessary DRI-ready facilities. The nation bold enough to lead this charge will forge the world's first clean steel economy.

The transition to clean steel is arriving at a difficult time for the American steel industry. Once the envy of the world, the American steel industry is a shell of its former glory. The American steel industry has declined in relative and absolute terms over the last half-century. In 1980, the U.S. steel industry produced 111.8 million tons, around 15% of global production. In 2024, the industry produced 79 million tons, only around 4% of global production. The fall of the American steel industry is a result of decades of underinvestment, technological stagnation, and a lack of vision. Today, the steel industrial giants of America are dormant companies unable or unwilling to innovate.

The continued decline of the American steel industry is not inevitable. The transition to clean steel is an opportunity to rebuild the industry. The shift to clean steel offers a rare chance to reverse decades of decline, modernize production, and reclaim global leadership in industrial manufacturing. Instead of allowing the industry to fall behind and underinvest, policymakers must work with the steel industry to build new capacity and win the race to build a steel industry. This national mission is a plan to do just that.

The primary goal of this national mission is to double American steel production and end the use of fossil-fuel-powered steelmaking. The goal of doubling steel production is necessary to supply steel for other parts of the Mission for America and to export to other countries. The goal of reducing emissions is to facilitate our transition to a net-zero economy. Many smaller goals help contribute to this larger goal. The specific goals of this national mission are to:

Retire America's 12 remaining blast furnaces and replace them with low-emission alternatives such as green hydrogen DRI.

Power all electric arc furnaces with 100% clean energy.

End the use of methane DRI.

Invest in innovative new steelmaking processes such as molten oxide electrolysis.

Support American-made clean steel by creating a carbon border adjustment tax on steel imports.

End the shortage of electrical steel that threatens to derail the transitions to 100% clean energy and electric vehicles (EVs).

Grow the number of companies producing steel in the United States by supporting start-ups and encouraging foreign firms to build capacity in the U.S.

End the culture of managed decline in the American steel industry, replacing it with a culture of innovation and investment.

The success of this national mission is only possible within the broader Mission for America framework, where each industrial transformation reinforces the others. The national mission for hydrogen will provide affordable green hydrogen, which itself depends on the national mission for clean power to provide abundant, affordable clean energy for hydrogen production.

The national mission for steel does not just rely on other missions to work; its success enables others. A robust clean steel industry will create consistent demand for hydrogen, giving investors the confidence to make bold investments in hydrogen production. At the same time, affordable, low-carbon steel will be critical to building the factories, EVs, and clean energy infrastructure that underpin nearly every other mission.

The benefits of this mission are immense. A revived American steel industry producing clean steel would create high-paying union jobs for thousands of Americans. It would also provide demand certainty for companies in the hydrogen industry, creating thousands of more jobs in that sector. Furthermore, American-made clean steel will become a hot commodity among other nations embarking on their decarbonization plans, providing America with a new source of export income. This national mission is a once-in-a-generation chance to revive American manufacturing, lead the world in industrial decarbonization, and rebuild the foundations of economic prosperity.

Solutions Overview

The National Mission for Clean Steel addresses key challenges in building a clean steel industry economy with three comprehensive, interconnected solutions. Each of the three solutions outlined here targets a critical aspect of the mission — expanding domestic steel manufacturing capacity, eliminating dirty steel from the economy, and solving shortages in the specialty steel market. Together, these solutions form a comprehensive strategy to build a 100% clean steel industry, create good jobs, and reduce American emissions. This section summarizes each solution section's goals and overall strategy.

Solution 1

Provides a plan to expand domestic steel production.

The American steel industry has been in decline for over forty years, eroding supply chains, national security, and economic prosperity. The major American steel companies have made little effort to reverse this decline, instead prioritizing short-term financial engineering for shareholders. This solution reverses that trend by providing the public leadership, strategic investment, and policy coordination necessary to rebuild American steel manufacturing. The primary strategies of this solution include:

Expanding existing subsidies for clean steel production, such as the Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit, and creating new ones, such as a production tax credit for clean steel.

Deploying RFC-backed financing to build new hydrogen-DRI facilities and retrofit existing mills with low-emission technology.

Providing demand certainty by having the RFC coordinate large-scale purchase agreements between steel producers and key industries such as automotive, construction, and clean energy manufacturing.

Accelerating the deployment of new steel production technologies and processes by increasing early-stage research and development funding and tasking the RFC with commercializing successful innovations.

Streamlining the production of green hydrogen for steelmakers by supporting the development of on-site renewable energy generation and co-located hydrogen production facilities.

Solution 2

Eliminates the use of high-emissions steel in the United States.

The United States economy is heavily dependent on high-emissions steel products that increase global emissions. The United States is still home to 12 coal-powered blast furnaces that must be retired immediately to meet the nation's climate goals. The American steel industry also imports large amounts of high-carbon steel products that contribute significantly to global emissions. This solution ends the use of blast furnaces and methane-based DRI in the U.S. while disincentivizing the import of dirty steel products. The primary strategies of this solution include:

Implementing a Clean Steel Standard that requires both primary and recycled steel producers to meet increasingly stringent emissions standards, with the goal of ending the use of blast furnaces and methane DRI and running all EAFs on 100% clean electricity in ten years.

Instituting a Carbon Border Adjustment Tax (CBAT) on imported pig iron, hot briquetted iron, and high-emissions finished steel.

Creating a grant program to transition dirty steel production facilities to produce clean steel, contingent on companies maintaining and retraining a large portion of their existing workforce.

Providing RFC financing to accelerate the transition of blast furnace operators to hydrogen-based DRI and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.

Prioritizing American-made low-emissions steel in federal procurement.

Using the presidential bully pulpit to put pressure on dirty steel companies to transition.

Solution 3

Outlines an emergency response plan that ends the shortage of electrical steel.

Electrical steel — a specialty steel essential for transformers, motors, and other electromagnetic applications — is in dangerously short supply. Demand for electrical steel has increased dramatically, but production has remained flat, causing wait times for grid and EV technologies to grow. This solution outlines an emergency plan to expand the production of electrical steel and prevent shortages. The primary strategies of this solution include:

Convening an emergency White House summit with leaders from the RFC, steel, auto, and power industries to coordinate a national response.

Creating a "bonus" production tax credit for domestic electrical steel manufacturers to incentivize rapid expansion.

Deploying RFC-backed investments to fund new clean electrical steel production facilities and upgrade existing plants.

Establishing an inter-industry monitoring task force within the RFC's steel, EV, and clean power teams to track supply and adjust policy as demand evolves.

Solutions Summary

This section summarizes the specific actions proposed in the complete National Mission for Clean Steel. Each solution is organized by the actor responsible for implementation — Congress, the president, the executive branch, and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) — though not every solution involves all four actors.

Solution 1: Building an American Clean Steel Industry

Congress

Expand the Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit for new energy projects. The AEPTC, often referred to as the 48C Clean Manufacturing Tax Credit, is an investment tax credit for new manufacturing projects that produce a "qualifying energy project." Industrial decarbonization projects, such as retrofitting a steel mill to produce clean steel or building a new clean steel facility, are included as qualifying energy projects. Congress should expand the credit to be available to all qualifying projects, make the credit direct pay, and extend it for ten years from the start of the national mission.

Create a Clean Steel Production Tax Credit. Congress should introduce a new production tax credit for clean steel manufacturers that provides a subsidy for companies producing low-emission steel. Congress must impose strict standards for what counts as clean steel production, such as requiring electric arc furnace users to source a set amount of their electricity from clean energy sources and for hydrogen DRI users to use green hydrogen. To unlock the full potential of the credit, Congress must make the credit fully refundable for all recipients to guarantee that companies of all types and sizes can benefit from the full credit.

Increase research and development (R&D) funding for promising new manufacturing processes and technologies. Expanding R&D funding for new steel manufacturing technologies is critical to ensuring innovation in low-emission steel production. There are many ways that expanded R&D funding could be used to advance deployment of low-emission steel, such as developing new processes that reduce the need for high-quality iron ore in hydrogen-based DRI production, or researching alternative production technologies such as molten oxide electrolysis (MOE). The Department of Energy (DOE) will oversee a grant program focused on both early-stage research and pilot-scale demonstration projects. Once these technologies are proven viable, the RFC will lead commercialization efforts, helping to scale promising innovations towards full commercial deployment.

President

Win the support of industry leaders and stakeholders. The success of the steel national mission hinges on the president's ability to rally manufacturers and key industry stakeholders. This effort must begin on the campaign trail, where the president should cultivate relationships with executives, directors, and top shareholders, framing them as pivotal leaders in America's economic revival — if they are bold enough to embrace the challenge. Visits to states with active or shuttered steel mills will generate public enthusiasm and reinforce the mission's urgency. Beyond steel producers, the president must also engage major steel consumers, such as the auto industry, to ensure alignment in the transition to clean steel.

Galvanize the public around the revival of the steel industry. The steel industry was once a core part of the American identity. America was the world's largest steel producer from the early 1900s to 1980. There are still Americans alive today who remember the golden age of American steel, and there are communities that never recovered from its decline. The president can use the nation's nostalgia for the golden age of American steel to build support for the steel national mission and the Mission for America at large. The president will need to pitch the transition of the global steel industry to clean steel as an opportunity to regain America's position as a leader in global steel production. The president should highlight the many other benefits of reviving the steel industry, including making the U.S. less reliant on imports, creating new jobs, reducing emissions, and the inflow of wealth that will go to the world's first clean steel industry.

Executive Branch

Provide demand assurance for clean steel producers through federal procurement. The president should sign an executive order mandating that federal agencies and contractors on federally funded infrastructure projects incorporate a growing percentage of clean steel in their procurement processes. This order should establish clear annual targets for increasing the share of clean steel used in bridges, buildings, transportation projects, and other federally supported construction. By setting a firm timeline for scaling up clean steel procurement, the executive order will create a stable demand signal for producers, encouraging further investment in clean steel manufacturing.

Create a Steel Tariff Advisory Council. The president should create a Steel Tariff Advisory Council to oversee and adjust tariffs in a way that protects the growth of America's clean steel industry while balancing the needs of steel consumers. This council, composed of experts from the RFC steel division and other relevant government agencies, will provide recommendations on tariff adjustments based on evolving supply-and-demand conditions. The goal is to ensure that tariffs incentivize clean steel production, shield domestic manufacturers from unfair competition, and prevent excessive burdens on industries relying on steel inputs. The council will continuously evaluate global market dynamics and recommend targeted tariff modifications that strengthen the clean steel industry without undermining other national missions.

RFC

Finance the development of new steel manufacturing facilities. The RFC must use the full scope of their investment tools to help companies build new clean steel factories. The RFC's strategy in this mission will depend heavily on how the existing American steel companies react to this national mission. If the steel industry reacts with enthusiasm, then the RFC can easily work with them to ramp up production by offering low-interest loans that help cover the costs of building new facilities. However, if the steel industry does not greet this mission with enthusiasm then the RFC will need to take much more aggressive steps to achieve its goals. Some of these steps include: taking large equity stakes in small but promising steel companies, placing large purchase orders with the first company to produce clean steel at a certain price point, or building RFC-owned steel plants and contracting their operations to another company. Most likely, some mix of all these tools will be used throughout the national mission as the steel industry develops.

Expand the American steel industry by developing new companies. The consolidation of the U.S. steel industry has led to stagnation, with major producers showing little interest in expanding or investing in hydrogen DRI clean steel production. If existing companies remain unwilling to embrace this transition, the RFC must focus on fostering new steel manufacturers. The RFC has several tools at its disposal to support new entrants: equity investments, milestone-based contracts modeled after NASA's "COTS" program, and purchase agreements to guarantee demand. By acting as a venture capital firm, the RFC can invest in promising start-ups, ensuring a diverse portfolio that increases the chances of success. Adapting the COTS model, the RFC can structure funding as fixed-rate milestone payments, incentivizing cost efficiency in production. Additionally, offering purchase agreements to the first companies that produce competitive clean steel will provide a guaranteed market and reduce the risk of new investments. These strategies will not only accelerate the emergence of clean steel companies but also establish long-term relationships between producers and consumers, strengthening the domestic steel supply chain.

Provide demand assurance for clean steel. The RFC must provide demand assurance for clean steel producers by arranging purchase orders between clean steel producers and potential buyers such as the automotive or construction industries. The RFC steel team leader will need to work closely with the leaders of other RFC teams to identify potential buyers, and craft investment deals that blunt the higher costs of clean steel for buyers. This demand support is essential to give confidence to clean steel producers that there will be long-term demand for their products.

Commercialize new technologies and processes. The RFC will work closely with the DOE to identify potential innovations in low-emission steel production and help commercialize promising new technologies and processes. The DOE will oversee a R&D program for clean steel, introduced in the Congress section of this solution section, that conducts early stage research, demonstrations, and pilot projects. The RFC steel team will collaborate with DOE researchers to identify innovations that can make a significant impact on decarbonizing steel production. Once technologies are ready for real-world use, the RFC will facilitate investment deals with companies and patent holders to scale and deploy these technologies across the industry.

Don't wait for the private sector to call; actively seek out new partnerships. Given the steel industry's history of resisting change, the RFC will need to take the lead in driving investment in clean steel manufacturing. The RFC should employ two primary strategies: leveraging the steel team leader's industry connections and publicly issuing investment offers. The team leader, chosen for their deep industry ties, must engage steel executives directly and advocate for the mission at industry events, ensuring that the RFC's commitment is well understood. If major steelmakers refuse to engage, the RFC will pivot toward start-ups, smaller companies, or even foreign firms willing to invest in U.S.-based clean steel production. The message must be clear: clean steel is the future, and the RFC will ensure its development — whether the industry's established players choose to lead or be left behind.

Make sure RFC investments result in projects getting completed by clearing bottlenecks. The RFC is responsible for ensuring the success of their investments after a loan is disbursed, purchase order is placed, or a factory is built. The RFC team leader will need to meet regularly with developers for status updates on projects and be alerted of any bottlenecks that emerge. If a bottleneck does emerge, the RFC must act immediately to clear it.

Announce a large "Day One" investment to represent the steel national mission. The president must secure a major investment in clean steel manufacturing before officially launching the steel national mission, ensuring the RFC is positioned to make a high-profile commitment from day one. During the transition and early days in office, the president should engage with industry leaders to negotiate an investment deal that signals the administration's seriousness about revitalizing American steel. This initial investment should target a former industrial hub or a traditionally low-income community to emphasize that the Mission for America is focused on economic renewal in communities long neglected by national policy. A well-executed "Day One" investment will build public confidence in the RFC, attract private capital, and demonstrate that clean steel production is a viable, large-scale industry in the U.S. However, failure to deliver on this investment could undermine the credibility of the national mission, deter investors, and reinforce skepticism among legacy steelmakers.

Solution 2: Eliminating Dirty Steel in the United States

Congress

Create a Clean Steel Standard. Congress must introduce new regulations requiring steel manufacturers to meet increasingly stringent emissions standards for domestically produced steel. The regulations will phase in over the course of ten years, and at the end of those ten years the use of fossil fuels in steel production will be entirely eliminated. Congress will need to create two unique standards, one for primary steel production and one for recycled steel. The primary steel production standard will require steel producers to transition away from blast furnaces and to green hydrogen-DRI production or other low-emission processes such as Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE). The standard for recycled steel will require companies to source an increasing amount of their electricity for EAFs from clean electricity sources.

Congress must mandate that all DRI production facilities and EAF furnaces phase out the use of methane (natural gas) in ten years. Congress should introduce new regulations that ban the use of methane in the steelmaking process beginning ten years after the start of the national mission. Many steelmakers say that the continued use of methane in steel production, either as a form of energy generation for EAFs or to produce hydrogen, is required to produce steel at a competitive price. However, this will no longer be an issue as the price of clean energy and green hydrogen decline. Even now, there are ample economic incentives for steel producers to invest in producing renewable energy and green hydrogen.

Institute a Carbon Border Adjustment Tax (CBAT) on foreign steel. Congress will need to create a CBAT that targets dirty steel imports to protect the integrity of the Mission for America's climate goals, allow American clean steel to compete internationally, and encourage other nations to make investments in clean steel. The CBAT for dirty steel will be implemented gradually. Congress should set the initial rate low to avoid stifling industries vital to the Mission for America such as the auto industry. Over time, this tax will be subjected to carefully considered increases, ensuring that it moves in sync with changing industry and market needs. Congress should delegate authority to the president to temporarily halt increases in, or even suspend, the CBAT for a specific product if it is placing an excessive burden on domestic consumers or a clean alternative is not available.

Create a new grant program for retrofitting existing integrated steel mills for hydrogen DRI. A grant program for companies retrofitting existing integrated steel mills will provide a multitude of benefits for steel companies and workers alike. Building new integrated steel mills is an expensive and time-consuming process. It takes years to identify a suitable community for the steel mill, obtain all the necessary permits, construct the mill, and hire new workers. Retrofitting existing integrated steel mills allows for companies to bypass this process and potentially save billions of dollars. It will also allow for workers to continue to work at the existing steel mill.

President

Convince the leaders of the steel companies and get them to commit to replacing their blast furnaces with green hydrogen DRI. The president will benefit from being able to narrow their focus — and their pressure — to just a handful of companies. The president can spend time developing a relationship with the leaders of both companies, making it easier to persuade them to commit to the mission's goals. If the companies are not moved by the president's persuasion and remain intransigent, then the president must shift gears and begin applying public pressure to the companies. Here again, the small number of relevant companies will make it easier for the president to do this successfully. The president can name and shame the individual companies with precision. It is difficult for even the most successful corporate leaders to stand in active defiance of the president for an extended period of time. If companies willingly take advantage of the resources given to them and follow through on their commitments to replace their blast furnaces, then the president should publicly applaud them and maintain the relationship they made.

RFC

Work directly with the two American companies that still use blast furnaces to create transition plans. With only two U.S. companies still operating blast furnaces — Cleveland-Cliffs and U.S. Steel — the RFC can work closely with them to craft tailored investment strategies that accelerate their transition to hydrogen-based direct reduced iron. The RFC should offer long-term, low-interest loans or direct equity investments to provide the capital necessary for this shift, factoring in indirect costs such as workforce retraining, energy procurement, and contract buyouts from fossil fuel suppliers. If needed, the RFC could also finance new hydrogen DRI facilities using a Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GOCO) model, covering construction costs and leasing operations to the steelmakers.

Rely on the RFC steel team leader's connection to the steel industry to put further pressure on CEOs. The RFC steel team leader must have deep industry experience to effectively pressure Cleveland-Cliffs and U.S. Steel into transitioning away from blast furnaces. A leader with industry knowledge will understand each company's financial standing, fossil fuel ties, and specific transition needs, while also having personal connections with key executives. This insider perspective will help identify stalling tactics and ensure that commitments to hydrogen-based steelmaking are genuine. If executives hesitate or prioritize short-term profits over long-term compliance, the RFC leader can use their credibility to push for action — first through persuasion and, if necessary, by reinforcing the reality that blast furnaces will be legally phased out over the next ten years. Industry leaders are far more likely to take these warnings seriously from a trusted peer rather than an external regulator.

Solution 3: Solving Shortages in the Specialty Steel Market

Congress

Create a "bonus" Production Tax Credit (PTC) for clean electrical steel. Congress should create a new production tax credit that provides a payout for every thousand tonnes of clean electrical steel a company produces in a given tax year. Congress can also expand this credit to include any other types of specialized steel it deems necessary. Companies can claim both this credit and the Clean Steel PTC introduced in Solution 1. This tax credit, in collaboration with the Clean Steel PTC, will encourage investors to prioritize areas of the steel that are most in need of near-term investment. Congress should extend the credit for ten years and allow for all companies to claim the credit as direct pay.

President

Convene an Emergency Summit on Electrical Steel Shortages. The president must bring together industry leaders from utilities, automakers, the steel industry, and the RFC for an emergency summit to address the immediate shortage of electrical steel and lay the foundation for long-term expansion. The summit should achieve five key objectives: raising public awareness about the severity of the shortage, establishing a consensus that this is a national emergency, quantifying the short-term needs of utilities and automakers, introducing industry leaders to the RFC steel team, and securing commitments from steelmakers to ramp up production. The president must ensure that by the end of the summit, the industry has a clear path to meeting the immediate demand for electrical steel. Beyond the summit, the president must remain actively engaged in the industry by holding regular briefings with RFC teams, removing bottlenecks where necessary, and publicly pressuring companies that fail to follow through.

Maintain pressure on the electrical steel makers to continue to invest after the short-term supply crisis is resolved. There will likely be a desire from the steel industry to declare "mission accomplished" once the short-term electrical steel shortage has been resolved. Some executives will want to return to normal and pause investments in new production facilities. However, the demand for electrical steel will continue to grow as utilities continue to upgrade the grid and auto manufacturers increase EV production. If steelmakers become complacent, then America will inevitably find itself in another electrical steel shortage. The president must fight against the industry's complacency as soon as it emerges.

Call out electrical steelmakers who intend to exploit shortages for profit. If electrical steel manufacturers attempt to artificially limit supply and drive up prices, the president must directly call them out and make clear that their greed will not be tolerated. Some executives have already signaled their intent to exploit shortages for financial gain, threatening to slow grid expansion, kill American jobs, and hinder the clean energy transition. The president should publicly name these CEOs in campaign speeches and Mission for America updates, exposing their actions to the American people. Public pressure alone may push them to invest in expanding production, but if they refuse, the president must make it clear that the federal government will back new competitors to break their hold on the market. These executives will quickly realize that their short-term profiteering only accelerated their own obsolescence as new companies rise to meet the nation's demand for electrical steel.

Work with the tariff advisory council at the RFC to adjust tariffs for the steel industry or specific types of steel depending on market conditions. The president will need to adjust tariffs on specialized types of steel to accommodate market changes as the Mission for America progresses. The president will need to rely on the RFC tariff advisory council introduced in Solution 1 to provide regular updates on the status of the market for electrical steel and other forms of specialized steel. The president should avoid placing any tariffs on electrical steel for as long as the shortage persists. However, once the domestic electrical steel manufacturers are able to scale up their production, it may make sense to give domestic manufacturers a small boost through targeted tariffs on foreign electrical steel providers. The president should be very careful when applying tariffs on electrical steel or any other form of specialized steel and consider whether it may endanger the goals of other national missions.

RFC

Invest in clean electrical steel capacity. The RFC must make bold, immediate investments in electrical steel production to ensure the Mission for America's success. Delays in expanding capacity will create supply shortages that threaten grid expansion, EV manufacturing, and other critical national missions. The steel team leader must treat this as an urgent priority, maintaining close communication with producers and consumers to track market conditions and push for rapid investment. If existing steelmakers hesitate to scale up, the team leader should use every available tool — private negotiations, public pressure, and direct RFC-backed competition — to ensure supply meets demand.

Work alongside other teams within the RFC to monitor the state of the electrical steel market. The steel, clean power, and EV teams will need to maintain active cooperation throughout the entire duration of the Mission for America to ensure that utilities and domestic EV manufacturers have enough electrical steel to meet their production targets. The decade-long endeavor to expand the U.S. power grid and triple the size of the automotive industry will see fluctuating yet predominantly rising demand for electrical steel. Constant dialogue among the three RFC teams, as well as regular consultations with key figures in the private sector, will be necessary to gauge how much electrical steel is required for the clean power and EV missions to stay on track.