Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hosted members of Congress, state representatives, utilities, and a heat pump manufacturer to discuss a market transition to cleaner, more efficient, cold climate heat pumps. The event, “Accelerating Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology and Adoption in the Midwest,” focused on reducing the carbon footprint of cold climate heating to help reach the Biden Administration’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. 

WATCH: Secretary Granholm hosts roundtable discussion on Cold Climate Heat Pumps 

Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman represented DOE in the roundtable discussion. Secretary Granholm also announced new commitments from state and utility partners to participate in DOE’s Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge, which seeks to improve the efficiency and performance of new heat pumps in the field. 

“We believe in this technology, and a critical part of this Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge is backing that belief up,” said Secretary Granholm. “We’re going to put these designs through rigorous analysis. We’re going to field test them with our partners, throughout an entire winter. We’re going to make sure these cold climate heat pumps meet their performance and efficiency targets, and that they can work in sub-zero temperatures. And we’re committed to ensuring that cold climate heat pump adopters are satisfied.”