Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, as well as Vice President JD Vance, were together for an announcement on August 21, 2026, at Middletown Works with Cleveland-Cliffs.

A rescoped $500 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy has led to Cleveland-Cliffs adding $1bn to Middletown Works.

In June 2026, Husted sent a letter along with other members of the Ohio congressional delegation to Secretary Wright urging the department to keep the $500 million Industrial Demonstrations Programme award for the Middletown Works facility of Cleveland-Cliffs and proceed with the award in a timely way.

The announcement of Cleveland-Cliffs adding $1bn to Middletown Works that was made on August 21, 2026, is indeed a win for Ohio manufacturing and Middletown. It is well to be noted that as a state, Ohio is vital to Made-in-America manufacturing, and the $1 billion investment by Cleveland-Cliffs in Middletown Works is going to make it even better. This investment will generate jobs, make American steelmaking stronger, and contribute to ensuring the energy dominance of the nation. Husted added that, “I advocated for this project because every ton of steel we make at home is one less ton we need to import from overseas. I was proud to join Vice President Vance and Secretary Wright today for this announcement. Ohioans can count on me to continue supporting policies that put Ohio workers and communities first.”

Notably, Middletown Works at Cleveland-Cliffs is indeed a key employer in south-west Ohio, providing support for 2,300 union jobs, firmly establishing the industrial base of the region. This investment will create 1,500 construction jobs and secure advanced steelmaking in Ohio for over 20 years, while helping to advance the energy dominance agenda of America.