The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) represents crushed stone, sand, gravel (aggregate) and industrial sand producers, consisting of approximately 9,500 operations nationwide, and the manufacturing and service providers who serve the industry. Our producer members operate both surface and subsurface mining operations across all fifty states. Aggregate producers are directly impacted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and are essential to meet our country’s energy goals. Aggregates are a critical component of concrete, which is required in many clean energy projects like wind turbines (hundreds of tons aggregates are required for each base), dams to establish hydropower, charging stations, expanding the electrical grid and more. Solar projects also rely on industrial sand, which is essential when creating the glass for solar panels. Industrial sand is also the key component in extracting oil and gas which is essential to America’s energy independence.  In addition to playing a direct role in modernizing out nation’s energy future, the aggregates industry can also provide land that is strategically located for clean energy projects such as those the Department of Energy (DOE) is working to support as part of the IIJA. A program of particular interest to aggregate producers and was authorized as part of the IIJA is the Clean Energy Demonstrations on Current and Former Mine Land Program. This program is housed within DOE’s new office, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), and will provide $500 million in 2023 to support clean energy projects, like solar panels, on active or abandoned mine lands.