With a shifting political landscape in Washington, D.C., and surging demand for AI-driven data centers, 2025 is set to be a transformative year for the ash, cement, and concrete industries.
A New Era for Energy Policy and Concrete Production
With the 2024 presidential election in the rearview, the inauguration of President Donald Trump—alongside Republican majorities in both the House and Senate—signals a sweeping overhaul of federal energy and environmental regulations. Among the many implications, one key outcome is the potential for increased availability of coal ash for concrete production.
A shift in federal agency leadership is expected to foster policies that support coal power and promote the beneficial reuse of coal combustion byproducts. Expanding the use of coal ash in concrete aligns with evolving procurement standards at the federal, state, and local levels aimed at reducing embodied carbon in construction.
Early indicators of this policy direction are evident in President Trump’s Cabinet selections: U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin as EPA Administrator, Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior. These appointments underscore a commitment to pro-energy policies, with key agencies likely advocating for fossil fuels, deregulation, and the formation of a National Energy Council—potentially even reinstating the National Coal Council.
Looking at historical precedent, a regulatory environment more favorable to coal and its byproducts could significantly boost coal ash utilization in concrete and other building materials. Between 2002 and 2008, the Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2) actively promoted coal ash recycling, driving record-high adoption rates within the concrete industry. A renewed emphasis on unlocking this vast domestic resource will be essential to supplying contractors with low-carbon concrete that meets stringent Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) requirements from both regulators and project developers.
The Role of Concrete in AI-Driven Data Centers
As Big Tech accelerates the construction of AI and cloud computing data centers, concrete producers stand to benefit from a growing market. However, data centers are also massive energy consumers and contributors to global CO2 emissions. A recent report projects that by 2030, the data center industry could produce 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon emissions annually, despite sustainability pledges from companies like Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.
Each new data center demands approximately 25,000 cubic yards of concrete. Aware of the environmental footprint of their operations, data center developers are actively seeking ways to decarbonize both their energy sources and the materials used in construction. A key solution lies in reducing reliance on ordinary portland cement (OPC), which accounts for the vast majority of embodied carbon in concrete. In fact, OPC production is responsible for an estimated 8% of global man-made CO2 emissions.
Integrating supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), such as fly ash, into concrete mixes offers a direct path to lowering emissions. For every ton of portland cement replaced with fly ash, nearly one ton of CO2 emissions is avoided. As demand for lower-carbon construction grows, specifying fly ash concrete for data center projects will become increasingly critical.
Fortunately, fly ash remains widely available in the U.S. While coal-fired power plants continue to be decommissioned, the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA) estimates that approximately 2 billion tons of previously disposed ash are stored in landfills and impoundments nationwide. Harvesting and repurposing this material could significantly contribute to the concrete sector’s net-zero-carbon goals, preventing the release of nearly 2 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
The trend toward reclaiming disposed coal ash is already gaining traction. In 2022 alone, over 4 million tons of previously discarded coal ash were recovered and repurposed for concrete and other applications—representing 8.7% of the total volume of recycled ash from active power plants. This figure is expected to rise substantially in 2025 and beyond, ensuring a more stable supply of SCMs for ready-mix producers and contractors, unaffected by fluctuations in coal plant operations.
A Promising Year for the Concrete Industry
With a new administration shaping environmental policy, an increasing focus on sustainable building materials, and skyrocketing demand for AI infrastructure, 2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for concrete producers. Companies specializing in SCMs, such as Eco Material Technologies, will play a vital role in supplying the materials needed to meet both regulatory and market-driven sustainability targets. For concrete contractors, the year ahead promises strong demand, innovation, and new opportunities in an evolving construction landscape.
