Carbon Capture Coalition Endorses the SCALE Act
March 17, 2021 | Legislation
Groundbreaking Bipartisan House and Senate Legislation Introduced to Foster Development of CO2 Transport and Storage Infrastructure for Economywide Carbon Capture Deployment
WASHINGTON, DC – The Carbon Capture Coalition is proud to support the bipartisan Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions Act (SCALE Act). The bill was reintroduced in both chambers today and is being led by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in the Senate and Representatives Marc Veasey (D-TX) and David McKinley (R-WV) in the House. This legislation establishes a comprehensive federal policy for the development of infrastructure to transport carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from industrial facilities, power plants and ambient air through direct air capture and to safely store that CO2 deep underground in saline geologic formations—an essential component of any broader strategy to achieve net-zero emissions and meet midcentury climate goals.
Upon reintroduction, the SCALE Act is being supported by a diverse and influential bipartisan group of original cosponsors, including: Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Terri Sewell (D-AL), and Liz Cheney (R-WY).
“The Carbon Capture Coalition commends these members for their foresight and recognition of the essential role that interconnected regional CO2 transport and storage infrastructure must play in putting our nation on a path to reaching net-zero emissions by midcentury,” said Coalition Director Brad Crabtree. “This common sense, bipartisan legislation is designed to drive the billions of dollars in private investment in infrastructure required to accelerate and scale up the deployment of carbon capture, removal and utilization from our nation’s industrial facilities, power plants and future large-scale direct air capture facilities. Congressional leaders should incorporate the provisions of the SCALE Act into the next major legislative package now being developed to address COVID economic recovery, infrastructure and climate.”
Drawing on jobs and economic analysis conducted by the Rhodium Group, Crabtree noted that, by enabling domestic industries to capture and manage their carbon emissions, the development of CO2 transport and storage infrastructure will help safeguard current high-paying jobs at existing industrial, energy and manufacturing facilities, while creating tens of thousands of new jobs and generating tens of billions in capital investment as our nation seeks to recover economically from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The deployment of carbon capture, direct air capture, carbon utilization and associated CO2 transport and storage projects provide some of the most desirable clean energy, industrial and manufacturing jobs for American workers, and they consistently pay above-average local wages that support families and communities,” Crabtree added.
The strategic importance of access to CO2 transport and geologic storage can be seen in the 30-plus publicly announced projects now under development in response to the 45Q tax credit, nearly all of which are presently limited to locations that benefit from close proximity to existing CO2 pipeline infrastructure or appropriate geologic formations for storage.
The SCALE Act would position the federal government to play a central role in leveraging private capital to build necessary regional and national CO2 transport and storage infrastructure networks. Already, Canada, Norway, the United Kingdom and the European Union have made substantial financial commitments to large-scale CO2 transport and storage infrastructure systems in the context of their broader net-zero emissions reduction goals. Without federal policy to help finance the national and regional buildout of such infrastructure, the U.S. risks falling behind other countries in deploying economywide carbon management technologies to meet midcentury climate goals.
“Our nation arguably leads the world in incentivizing the deployment of carbon capture and removal technologies thanks to landmark bipartisan reform and expansion of the federal 45Q tax credit in 2018, as well as an additional two-year extension of 45Q and other critical carbon management investments in the comprehensive and ambitious bipartisan energy package passed last year,” said Crabtree. “However, if we are to sustain that global leadership, Congress and the administration must now take the next critical step of establishing a robust federal CO2 transport and storage infrastructure policy as provided by the SCALE Act.”
The SCALE Act prioritizes key policy provisions recommended by the Carbon Capture Coalition’s 80-plus companies, unions and NGOs in their recently released consensus Federal Policy Blueprint:
- Establishes a CO2 Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (CIFIA) program at the Department of Energy (DOE), a financing mechanism to provide flexible, low-interest grants and loans to cover a portion of the cost of developing common carrier CO2 transport infrastructure, thus leveraging much greater levels of private investment;
- Establishes a Secure Geologic Storage Infrastructure Development Program, building upon the successful CarbonSAFE program at DOE, to provide cost-share for the development of saline geologic storage projects, with particular emphasis on larger-scale commercial projects that will serve as regional storage hubs for multiple carbon capture facilities in different industries;
- Increases funding for Environmental Protection Agency permitting of Class VI CO2 storage wells in saline geologic formations, and provides grants to help states establish their own Class VI permitting programs to ensure rigorous and efficient permitting of CO2 storage infrastructure; and
- Provide grants for states and municipalities to procure low and zero-carbon products derived from CO2 and carbon oxides.
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The Carbon Capture Coalition is a nonpartisan collaboration of more than 80 businesses and organizations building federal policy support for economywide deployment of carbon capture, removal, transport, utilization, and storage. Our mission is to reduce carbon emissions to meet midcentury climate goals, foster domestic energy and industrial production, and support a high-wage jobs base through the adoption of carbon capture technologies. Convened by the Great Plains Institute, Coalition membership includes industry, energy, and technology companies; energy and industrial labor unions; and conservation, environmental, and energy policy organizations.
Quotations of Support from Carbon Capture Coalition Members
Emily Skor, CEO, Growth Energy
“As we have seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CO2 captured from ethanol plants has critically important commercial, agriculture, and municipal water uses. Whether it’s CO2 for meat packing or municipal water treatment, or used as a coolant for vaccination storage, the CO2 captured from ethanol plants is a necessary part of our country’s supply chain and we cannot afford another shortage threat. This bill would also allow the ethanol industry to capture more of its CO2 and has the potential to permanently sequester CO2 underground. We support the SCALE Act and encourage greater CO2 reduction across the board.”
Shannon Heyck-Williams, Director of Climate and Energy Policy, National Wildlife Federation
“Given the advanced state of the climate crisis, we need to do more than just reduce greenhouse gas emissions if we want a future where people and wildlife can thrive. We also must capture emissions at their source, remove carbon from the air directly, use the captured carbon in innovative new products, and safely store this pollution in designated sites underground. The bill from Reps. McKinley and Veasey and Sens. Coons and Cassidy will allow the federal government — through coordination, loans, and grants — to help deploy the infrastructure needed to achieve these goals.”
Cecile M. Conroy, Director, Government Affairs, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
“The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers have long advocated for robust federal investments in the development and wide deployment of Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) technologies as a necessary and common sense response to curbing carbon dioxide emissions, both in the U.S. and around the globe. The SCALE Act promotes the deployment of CCUS by investing in the transport and storage infrastructure that will be necessary to truly meet the challenges of curbing carbon emissions and will create immense construction and manufacturing opportunities, along with thousands of good-paying American jobs.”
Steve Oldham, CEO, Carbon Engineering
“At Carbon Engineering, we are encouraged by the introduction of the SCALE Act and by its prospects to advance the fields of carbon capture and clean energy. By accelerating build-out of U.S. infrastructure to transport and safely store captured carbon dioxide, this Bill improves the market for companies like ourselves working to field capture technology. In the same way that better roads and rail help the companies and individuals that use them, carbon dioxide infrastructure helps us all reduce emissions and create jobs while building a cleaner energy system.”
Richard Jackson, President Operations, U.S. Onshore Resources and Carbon Management, Occidental
“CO2 transport and storage infrastructure is an essential enabler for large-scale carbon capture and removal deployment in order to achieve economy-wide net-zero emissions. The SCALE Act would lower the barriers to deployment and help spur investment in developing this critical infrastructure for the 21st century. Occidental recently announced our ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and the SCALE Act and similar legislative initiatives are imperative for us to meet that goal. We appreciate the leadership of Representatives Veasey and McKinley and Senators Coons and Cassidy, and we look forward to working with them on this important issue.”
Brad Markell, Executive Director, Industrial Union Council, AFL-CIO
“Widespread deployment of carbon capture, direct air capture, carbon utilization and the infrastructure required to transport and store CO2 will be crucial to meeting President Biden’s goals of reaching net-zero emissions in the power sector by 2035 and economywide by 2050. The bipartisan SCALE Act will enable the buildout of the necessary CO2 transport and storage networks with U.S.-manufactured steel, cement and other materials, and create tens of thousands of jobs paying family-sustaining wages for American workers. As we transform the economy to meet our climate goals, we must ensure that we preserve existing energy and industrial employment and create many new high-wage jobs. The SCALE Act accomplishes all of those priorities, while helping to put American industry on a path to net-zero, and all of its provisions should be included in forthcoming national infrastructure legislation.”
Sean McGarvey, President, North America’s Building Trades Unions
“The bipartisan SCALE Act represents a golden opportunity for the creation of desperately needed middle-class sustaining jobs. This legislation is the prime example of how Congress, industry, environmental groups, and construction unions can come together to develop needed climate policy while ensuring the creation of middle-class sustaining energy jobs. If our nation is to meet its midcentury climate goals, Congress must pass this legislation to begin the construction of the infrastructure necessary to support the deployment of systems to capture, transport, and store CO2. This essential part of our overall national infrastructure effort provides an immediate opportunity to create union jobs and train the next generation of construction workers. The carbon capture industry is committed to utilizing NABTU’s world-class apprenticeship and training system to provide the workforce to build the carbon capture, transport, and storage infrastructure for our country. We look forward to working with Congress to ensure that the SCALE Act is included in a comprehensive infrastructure package.”
Heather Reams, Executive Director, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions
“Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Executive Director Heather Reams praised Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), saying: “Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions applauds the introduction of the Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act. Its bipartisan, bicameral support shows Congress can work together to reduce harmful pollutants, promote American innovation and strengthen the U.S. economy—all at the same time. Study after study shows that carbon capture and storage are vital to achieving climate and net- zero emissions goals, and the SCALE Act will help remove carbon from the air, build the needed CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, and help advance U.S. innovation by enabling the deployment of large-scale carbon capture technology.”
Michele Stockwell, Executive Director, Bipartisan Policy Center Action
“BPC Action supports the SCALE Act introduced by Sens. Coons (D-DE) and Cassidy (R-LA) and Reps. Veasey (D-TX) and McKinley (R-WV). The legislation is a solid effort to advance carbon capture, transportation, utilization, and storage. It does a great deal to advance the carbon utilization and carbon storage potential of the United States, through both infrastructure and market support. With the growing scale of the global carbon market, legislation such as the SCALE Act is crucial to ensure the competitiveness of the United States.” — Michele Stockwell, Executive Director, Bipartisan Policy Center”
James Slevin, President, Utility Workers Union of America
“The SCALE Act takes an important step to support expanding critical carbon capture infrastructure. If we’re going to have a shot at meeting the net zero emissions goals set forth by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we need more supportive measures like this. We look forward to working together to advance this important legislation in the House and Senate.”
Shannon Angielski, Executive Director, Carbon Research Utilization Council (CURC)
“CURC congratulates Congressmen Veasey and McKinley and Senators Coons and Cassidy on the bipartisan, bicameral introduction of the Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act. When combined with the Section 45Q tax credit, the policies included in the SCALE Act would support commercial-scale deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects by overcoming barriers against the buildout of critical CO2 transport and storage infrastructure in the United States. Infrastructure to transport and store CO2 from industrial sources is also imperative to deliver on the substantial environmental benefits that can be provided by CCUS, which energy and climate authorities project will have a substantial role if domestic and global decarbonization objectives are to be achieved.”
Brett Kerr, Vice President External Affairs, Calpine
“Calpine applauds the efforts of Senator Coons, Senator Cassidy, Congressman Veasey and Congressman McKinley to advance this nation’s goals of a lower carbon future through the increase of carbon capture utilization and storage. As America’s largest natural gas and geothermal power generator, Calpine understands the importance of natural gas in securing a cleaner future and more reliable energy supply for future generations. We must use all tools at our disposal to tackle climate change, including robust investment in CCUS research and development. This bill advances these efforts and Calpine is proud to stand behind it.”
Cecil E. Roberts, President , United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)
”The SCALE Act is a key component of the infrastructure that will be required to develop and deploy Carbon Capture and Storage ( CCS) technology as widely as possible, and the UMWA is wholeheartedly in support.”
George Pickart, Managing Director, Global Government Affairs & Policy, GE Gas Power
“GE Gas Power views CCUS as a critical tool in the fight against climate change, which can be particularly impactful in the US. Decarbonizing power and industry through CCUS can be done today by making the needed investments to connect stationary emitters to the sequestration sites. Via the SCALE Act, the government can play a critical role in supporting these infrastructure projects to grow the CO2-capture economic sector.”
Roxanne Brown, Vice President at Large, United Steelworkers
“Carbon capture is a key technology for maintaining good manufacturing jobs as the global economy decarbonizes to move towards the industry of the future. The SCALE Act enables the buildout of CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, with Buy America requirements, that is necessary for large-scale deployment of carbon capture at industrial facilities across our vast country.”
Bob Perciasepe, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
“We must accelerate our efforts to eliminate climate pollution, across every sector of the economy. We should also recognize that certain sectors – such as heavy industry – will be difficult to decarbonize. We need to develop as many tools as possible to meet the climate challenge and carbon capture is widely recognized as a technology crucial to enable reductions in difficult to address sectors. Crucially, we will also need to fund the infrastructure to move captured carbon and to prime markets to monetize it,” said C2ES President Bob Perciasepe. “We join in the broad support of the SCALE Act because carbon capture is a critical climate technology, and it establishes key elements of the system to move, sell, and use captured carbon or permanently store it.”
Lee Beck, CCUS Policy Innovation Director, Clean Air Task Force (CATF)
“CATF welcomes the bipartisan, bicameral introduction of the SCALE Act. CO2 infrastructure, including geologic saline storage and CO2 pipelines, forms an integral part of the infrastructure needed to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century. Investment in CO2 infrastructure is crucial to establish a carbon management market for industrial decarbonization and direct air capture, accelerate the development of saline geologic storage, and create regional economic opportunities. The sooner we can understand the needs of and plan for such net-zero infrastructure, the better we can optimize for cost and land-use impacts. With Europe, Norway, and the UK pouring billions into flagship CO2 infrastructure projects, the SCALE Act provides an opportunity to cement US technology leadership. The SCALE Act should be part of any climate infrastructure package moving in Congress.”
Erin Burns, Executive Director, Carbon180
“Deploying carbon management technologies at the level needed to meet climate goals will require federal efforts to drive carbon use, transportation, and storage. This means more RD&D on carbon to value (which can aid in broader decarbonization efforts and represents a $1 trillion total available market in the United States), serious infrastructure support, and robust funding for the permitting and regulation of safe, secure geologic storage. The SCALE Act is a necessary first step in this important federal effort.”
Jason Albritton, Director of Climate and Energy Policy, The Nature Conservancy
“In order to successfully deploy last-mile decarbonization technologies when they are most needed, we need to start investing now. The bipartisan SCALE Act will support the infrastructure necessary to capture, transport, use, and permanently and safely store carbon, which is essential for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. The land-use and siting provisions included in the bill are particularly important to ensure new infrastructure minimizes environmental disturbances. The SCALE Act is an important tool in the climate toolkit, and The Nature Conservancy is pleased to see its introduction today.”
Lonnie R. Stephenson, President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
“The IBEW thanks Senators Coons and Cassidy and Representatives Veasey and McKinley for introducing the SCALE Act. This legislation will help further the development of carbon capture sequestration and utilization, which are essential for the United States – and the international community – to meet the emission reductions called for by climate scientists. The SCALE Act will focus federal resources towards the transportation and storage of captured carbon, which will help preserve the livelihood of IBEW members who work day and night to maintain the safety and reliability of the electrical and natural gas services that we all rely on.”
Bruce Rastetter, CEO, Summit Agricultural Group
“Carbon capture and storage is vital to the sustainability of agriculture, biofuels, and a variety of industries across the Midwestern United States, but it cannot be accomplished at scale without significant investment in carbon dioxide pipeline infrastructure. The SCALE Act will accelerate the development of this infrastructure, creating thousands of high paying jobs, and providing certainty to project developers like Summit Carbon Solutions, which together with our partners, will capture and store 10 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.”
Josh Freed, Senior Vice President, Energy and Climate Policy, Third Way
“Our analysis shows the SCALE Act would create 13,000 jobs per year building CO2 transport infrastructure and preparing underground storage sites. Even more importantly, though, this bill delivers opportunities for a broader set of America’s workforce to apply their skills to clean energy projects, and in communities that often have a hard time seeing where they fit in a thriving clean economy. That’s why the SCALE Act is as vital for our economic goals as it is for our climate goals.”
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