By Dave Kovaleski

May 16, 2019 - Legislation designed to promote the research and development of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology was introduced in the U.S. Senate recently.

The bipartisan bill, the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act, would incentivize collaboration between federal, state and private entities to develop facilities for CCS and direct air capture as well as pipelines to transport captured CO2.

The bill was introduced by Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and cosponsored by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), a member of the Senate Energy Committee and the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee.

“North Dakota is leading the way in the development of CCS technologies, which holds real promise for both traditional and renewable energy sources,” Hoeven said. “The USE IT Act would advance the work of the EERC and their partners, including Minnkota Power, BNI Coal, and Red Trail Energy, by authorizing funding for carbon capture facilities and research, while also providing regulatory certainty for CCS projects and the infrastructure they need, like pipelines. This is part of ensuring we can continue to rely on all of our abundant energy resources.”

Specifically, the bill would authorize $50 million for technical and financial assistance to CO2 utilization projects. It would also provide greater permitting certainty for CO2 pipelines by classifying them as “covered projects” under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Further, it would establish permitting guidance for developers and operators of CCS projects and authorize $35 million for a competitive grant under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for direct air capture research.