For a long time, inexpensive electricity produced by coal was the catalyst for industrial expansion in the US. Now that we have cleaner sources of energy—wind power being one among them—manufacturing investments are being made faster than we can keep up with. Such energy producers are important in terms of jobs (and the taxes that come from said jobs) in states that are hungry for expansion.

The most recent example of this is the micro mill Nucor Corp’s newest building, which will become the first steel plant in the US to run solely on wind power. The significance of this mill, which is located in Sedalia, goes beyond the interest of the state, as it represents a move into green energy by the steel industry at large.

The steel industry has been a major producer of carbon emissions for a long time—and at a global scale. According to a report from Mighty Earth released last year, the steel industry is responsible for a whopping 7% of the global carbon emission levels. This steel plant is an important indicator of how utilities and clean energy can work hand in hand as a new tool for economic growth. The Great Plains have a practically infinite supply of wind, which is cheap and a lot more efficient than the alternatives.

Nucor Corp and Evergy Inc signed a contract to bring greater wind capacity to supply this steel plant, and this is part of a larger nationwide trend that consists of corporate renewable energy purchases with the goal to reach sustainability goals. The Nucor steel plant, which is expected to start running by the end of the year, will become one of the most substantial capital investments the state has seen in a long time. It will provide jobs for hundreds of people and will be powered by a 75-megawatt power purchase agreement via Evergy.

A new wind farm will be built to provide electricity to the mill of the steel plant, including arc furnaces that are highly efficient and will be used for melting recycled scrap to make steel. The corporation’s decision to build this wind-powered plant wasn’t only driven by their access to wind; it was also driven by the scrap steel available in the region and the end-use customers.

Another key factor was the law that was enacted only a couple of years ago that helped make this kind of project possible in Missouri. This law allows utilities to apply for discounted electric rates for a duration of ten years for producers of steel and aluminum as well as other big businesses that create demand for the purchase of over 50 megawatts. With this project, Nucor will become the largest customer Evergy has in Missouri, and the wind farm that will provide electricity to the plant will account for 100% of the mill’s supply.

It’s important to note that the mill will make use of fossil fuels from the bulk power grid at Southwest Power Pool whenever wind doesn’t allow it to generate enough energy. But even so, it will still eventually be supplied entirely by renewables, since the SPP is switching to renewables bit by bit. This project is a huge step in the right direction for one of the industries that has done so much damage to the environment, and I hope (and expect) to see more projects like this in the future.