Tabitha Stine of Nucor, a steel maker, will appear in the documentary Women of Carbon, which will have its premiere during Climate Week NYC.
Ahead of Climate Week, Tabitha Stine, General Manager of Energy Solutions Services at Nucor, discusses all things carbon with Sustainability Magazine. NYC
Roughly 25% of the raw steel produced in the US is produced by Nucor, the giant of the North American steel industry. Not only that, but it is regarded as one of the most sustainable firms in the continent and the leading recycler in the Western Hemisphere.
With scrap metal serving as the key ingredient and energy consumption as the main outlay, Nucor’s activities are centered upon an electric arc furnace technology. Nucor is by far the largest customer of municipal utilities in the majority of the regions in which it conducts business.
Thus, setting a high standard for decarbonization initiatives is important to Nucor.
Nucor, a 32,000-person corporation with more than 300 locations, has been producing steel using electric arc furnaces for 60 years, defying conventional industry practices. Because of this creative method, the steel has one-third less carbon than alternatives made in blast furnaces.
In a special interview with Energy Digital, Tabitha Stine, General Manager of Energy Solutions Service at Nucor, stated, “We not only directly benefit, but all of our customers who need cleaner steel or energy do as well. If we can find ways to reduce and find better sources for clean energy and accelerate that transition.”
On September 24, at Climate Week NYC, a new documentary titled Women of Carbon will premiere, including Tabitha among a group of notable female executives.
“What we find is that all of our industrial partners who are in the building, construction, or scaling space need energy and steel,” the speaker continued. And what do you know? We require energy as well. How then do we assist our clients?
“It’s the impetus and hunger that, in my opinion, really got the decarbonization process going and is now speeding it up so we can support our communities and customers more broadly.”
Climate Week NYC: A Documentary on Women in Carbon
The important role that women play in this industry is one of the documentary filmmakers’ most important insights.
“We are sitting in a role that’s either a brand-new or never been a seat held by a female before,” one of the keynote speakers at a Women in Steel conference in Pittsburgh told us, the speaker said. It’s overwhelming to realize how much responsibility, weight, and opportunity each of us has to lead by example for the people who will follow us.
“That’s where the accountability lies. There are countless opportunities scattered across the built environment. This documentary offers a unique chance to explore a wide range of perspectives on the future of construction and the built environment through the lens of decarbonization, from what’s going on at the local level with universities and students to what’s happening on an industrial scale.
In my opinion as a mother, it is extremely important that my kids inherit a better world than the one I was given. I believe there has never been a greater need for that than there is at this moment. Future energy challenges that none of us have experienced are approaching.
Tabitha has a personal as well as a professional interest for sustainability. The timing and topic of this film particularly resonate with her as a mother of a daughter studying in environmental science and sustainability, as well as a structural engineer and steel designer.
“When I went to college, there weren’t even opportunities to major in sustainability,” Tabitha clarified.
“More than I believe, my kid feels the pressure firsthand. She’s preparing to enter this messy situation. What is her occupation? What is the task of her generation? It is really motivating to witness children’s enthusiasm and sense of duty when they truly roll up their sleeves.
“This has all gone full circle for me. Both personally and professionally, I’m quite enthusiastic about this documentary.
The strategic alliances of Nucor
In order to power its mills with clean energy, Nucor, a major energy user, recognizes the necessity for cooperative efforts to develop and improve innovative technologies including long-duration battery storage and sophisticated geothermal and fusion power. Nucor has demonstrated leadership via action by partnering with tech behemoths like Google and Microsoft and working with ExxonMobil on carbon sequestration projects in order to achieve their sustainability goals.
“Collaborating with Google and Microsoft showcases unusual alliances for a steel corporation,” Tabitha remarked. “In this collaboration, data and energy emerge as central themes.”
“Utilizing first-of-its-kind technology, such as long duration battery storage, enables us to sustain our mills even when traditional renewable energy sources like wind and solar are not feasible,” she stated.
The collaboration between Microsoft, Google, and Nucor is an example of a group learning process. Together, we three unexpected people are committed to growth and energy, demonstrating that teamwork yields far greater results than individual effort. It’s been an incredible journey.”
