Low-carbon Cement and Concrete Solutions Under the Trump Administration

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CRH has signed a $2.1 billion deal to acquire Eco Material Technologies, a leader in supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) and green cement in North America. This acquisition strengthens CRH’s position in low-carbon cement and concrete solutions critical for building a cleaner, more resilient infrastructure future.

Meet Eco Material at the upcoming CarbonZero Global Conference and Exhibition 2025 to be held in Bucharest, Romania, October 15-16 at the InterContinental Athénée Palace Hotel. Use the code GrantQ10 for 10% discount on tickets.

Grant Quasha, Chairman and CEO of Eco Material Technologies, will present on “Coal Ash and SCMs in the New Administration.”

The election of President Donald Trump, along with unified Republican control of Congress, signals a significant transformation in federal energy and environmental policy. Key focus points of the GOP-led agenda include reinvigorating fossil fuel development and rolling back a number of environmental regulations—actions that can be expected to have flow-on effects for both SCM producers and the concrete construction industry.

From the outset of his term, President Trump, supported by a spate of favorable court rulings, has rolled out a deregulatory agenda at breakneck speed by bureaucratic standards. In April, the President issued Executive Orders directing: (1) the U.S. Departments of Interior and Energy to rescind policies that transition away from coal or favor alternative sources in federal procurement; (2) the end of the federal coal leasing moratorium; and (3) the granting of two years of relief from the Biden-era Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS).

At the regulatory level, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has supported the President by formally proposing to roll back Biden-era MATS limits for coal-fueled power plants to 2012 levels, while also floating the potential repeal of carbon regulations for both new and existing coal-fueled power plants. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), meanwhile, has reinstated the National Coal Council federal advisory committee that the Biden administration allowed to lapse.

Legislatively, low-carbon concrete initiatives continue to gain traction in the U.S. Congress, where the House of Representatives in March passed the Innovative Mitigation Partnerships for Asphalt and Concrete Technologies (IMPACT) Act, which would give the DOE a mandate to develop a full program to research, develop, and deploy clean versions of building materials. Separate legislation was introduced in the House and Senate to allow state and municipal transportation departments to pledge to buy future output of manufacturers of low-carbon concrete, cement, and asphalt.

These events are playing out against a backdrop of skyrocketing electricity demand forecasts that have prompted a number of U.S. utilities to delay plans to retire coal plants. Combined with the continued growth in the harvesting of previously disposed coal ash, as well as natural pozzolan deposits, the outlook looks considerably brighter for the supply of SCMs to concrete producers now than it did just a year ago.

About the Speaker

Grant Quasha is the Chairman and CEO of Eco Material Technologies, which he founded in 2021 via the merger of Green Cement Inc. and Boral Resources. He is the former Chief Executive Officer for Green Cement. Prior to that, he built the largest wire rod steelmaker in the U.S. for Liberty Steel and built and helped manage two U.S. mining companies. He also worked for JP Morgan’s Investment Bank in their Natural Resources Group. He received his B.A. from Harvard College, Cum Laude, and an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School.

About Eco Material Technologies, Platinum Sponsor of the Event

Eco Material Technologies is a leading producer of sustainable cement alternatives in the U.S., serving over 5,000 unique customer locations from its 150+ sites across 42 states. It is the nation’s largest marketer and distributor of fly ash and uses patented technologies to convert fly ash and other materials into innovative, near-zero-carbon building products. These cement alternatives react faster, match the one-day performance of, and after 28 days are approximately 20% stronger than traditional cement, all while reducing by approximately 99% the CO2 emissions traditionally associated with cement production. The Company recycles approximately 10 million tons per year of power plant waste material into the building products industry, keeping close to 7 million tons per year of CO2 emissions out of the atmosphere by avoiding the production of portland cement. The Company also provides mission-critical utility services, including operations support, waste disposal, and environmental remediation.

About CarbonZero Global Conference and Exhibition 2025

As a premier global platform, CarbonZero unites top decision-makers to drive the transition to Net Zero in cement and construction. The conference will explore green alternatives, from alternative fuels and raw materials to clinker substitutes, giving new life to existing resources. Discussions will also cover emerging technologies, carbon capture, financing, investment, regulations, and industry standards. This C+ level event attracts leaders from across cement manufacturing, construction, technology, R&D, academia, and regulatory bodies to shape actionable, sustainable solutions.

You can find an overview of the Madrid 2024 edition of CarbonZero here: [Link] registrations are available at contact@industrylink.eu and using the discount code GrantQ10 you get an additional 10% in ticket fees. Card payments are available here or via PayPal, emails for getting the payment link.

August 13, 2025
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Coal Ash and SCMs in the New AdministrationEco Material TechnologiesLow-carbon Cement and Concrete Solutions Under the Trump AdministrationMercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)National Coal Council USA