WASHINGTON, D.C. — Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, on Tuesday released a new report that projects that electrification of U.S. industry will grow from 30% to 45% by 2030, a 50% increase. The report, compiled by the company's Sustainability Research Institute, also recognizes the potential for a corresponding 25% reduction in fossil fuel demand over the same period.
The report provides detailed analysis by sector, projecting that 16 of 21 sectors will reach 60% electrification by 2030. Further, it projects that U.S. industry as a whole will reach 64% electrification by 2040 with a corresponding 50% reduction in fossil fuel use.
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In tandem with these trends, Schneider Electric will upgrade, modernize, and maintain its Seneca and Columbia manufacturing plants; it will also electrify Seneca's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to enhance its efficiency and reduce costs advancing its own sustainability and decarbonization targets.
Altogether, the company will invest $23.8 million into its South Carolina manufacturing operations. The company also said it expects to create 280 new production jobs in the state, including 130 jobs in its Seneca facility and 150 jobs in its Columbia facility adding to the more than 1,200 workers Schneider Electric currently employs in South Carolina. Hiring at both facilities will take place over the course of 2024.
This expanded workforce will manufacture custom power distribution products that are integral to electrification and energy efficiency, bolstering support for critical infrastructure, industries — particularly healthcare and wastewater treatment — and the escalating demand for data center solutions across the U.S.
Speaking at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, Schneider Electric President of North America Operations Aamir Paul said, "This new research demonstrates why electrification is the most promising and practical means of decarbonizing industry quickly.
"We anticipate significant acceleration across all sectors, even hard-to-abate industry, to reach decarbonization targets and maintain economic competitiveness. As we move more towards this electrified and digitized world, we're spearheading this transformation through our own investments in a robust domestic supply chain, including in the state of South Carolina to bolster our manufacturing efforts for customers."
In March, Schneider Electric announced plans to invest $140 million into its U.S. manufacturing operations and create about 750 new manufacturing jobs across the country in 2024. The company's South Carolina investments, which are accounted for in the 2024 financial and jobs totals, follow its recent manufacturing expansion announcements in Tennessee and Texas. Since 2020, Schneider Electric has invested more than $440 million across its American manufacturing network, which includes more than 22 facilities across 14 states.
Schneider Electric has had a presence in the U.S for 135 years. The company employs more than 19,000 workers in the country and its products and solutions can be found in four of 10 U.S. homes, 40% of the world's hospitals, and in water and wastewater installations in 150 countries.
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