Carbon Capture Coalition Lauds the “Energy Act of 2020” and Urges Congressional Leadership to Pass It as Part of Year-End Legislation

Carbon Capture Coalition Director Brad Crabtree released the following statement on the carbon capture and removal provisions in the Energy Act of 2020, which is expected to be included in the end-of-the-year omnibus spending bill:

“The just negotiated bipartisan Energy Act of 2020 includes vitally important provisions to help achieve economywide deployment of carbon capture and removal to meet midcentury climate goals. Enactment of the Energy Act this Congress would represent a signature accomplishment following the landmark bipartisan reform and expansion of the federal 45Q tax credit in 2018.

“The Coalition’s 80-plus companies, unions and NGOs appreciate the tremendous bipartisan effort and dedication of members of Congress and their staff in negotiating this groundbreaking energy package, and they urge House and Senate congressional leaders to include the Energy Act in the broader omnibus spending package for immediate passage this year.

“The Energy Act would retool and expand federal research, development and demonstration programs to help address our climate challenges while sustaining U.S. technology leadership. The bill provides a comprehensive and overdue update of federal energy programs and authorizes billions in funding for critical priorities, including:

• Urgently needed large-scale pilot projects and commercial-scale demonstrations of carbon capture technologies in key sectors, such as heavy industry;
• Development of large-scale geologic storage projects in different regions of the country;
• Establishment of a carbon removal program, including a direct air capture technology prize competition;
• Creation of a carbon utilization program to support development of commercially valuable products from captured carbon that result in significant emissions reductions; and
• Reforms to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Program to help finance additional technology innovation and deployment with existing resources.    

“Combined with necessary and expected congressional action to extend 45Q and provide a direct pay option for the tax credit, passage of the Energy Act of 2020 will begin putting our domestic energy, industrial and manufacturing economy on a path to achieving net-zero emissions by midcentury, while safeguarding and growing our nation’s high-wage jobs base.”

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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, use, 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.