Senate advances bill to support research for carbon utilization and direct air capture

The U.S. Senate advanced legislation to support carbon utilization and direct air capture research.

The Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act (S. 383) – sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), would also support federal, state, and non-governmental collaboration in the construction and development of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) facilities and carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines.

The bill is included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“I want to make American energy as clean as we can, as fast as we can, without raising costs on families,” Barrasso said. “The best way to do that is through innovation, not government regulation. The USE IT Act is a bipartisan bill to promote carbon capture technologies that take carbon out of the air and find productive uses for it. These promising technologies could result in significant emissions reductions. The USE IT Act will support the type of great research already happening in Wyoming at the Integrated Test Center and around the country. I want to thank Chairman Inhofe for making the USE IT Act a priority. This is an important step toward having the legislation signed into law.”

Specifically, the USE IT Act amend the Clean Air Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support carbon utilization and direct air capture research. It would also clarify that CCUS projects and CO2 pipelines are eligible for the streamlined permitting review process. It would also direct the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to establish guidelines to expedite the development of CCUS facilities and CO2 pipelines and establish task forces to get input to update and improve guidance.

“The USE IT Act aligns with my goal of making Wyoming a global leader in carbon capture technology,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said. “This bipartisan legislation encourages a collaborative approach to achieving carbon emission reductions while not sacrificing the affordability and reliability that Wyoming’s energy resources provide America’s electrical grid. I applaud Senator Barrasso’s efforts to include this important legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act.”

The USE IT Act is cosponsored by Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tina Smith (D-MN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Hoeven (R-ND), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Steve Daines (R-MT).