Bipartisan lawmakers back carbon capture with new legislation 

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is throwing its support behind a still-developing type of technology that seeks to capture carbon that’s released during activities such as burning fossil fuels to prevent it from going into the atmosphere. 

Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Reps. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.) introduced a bill on Wednesday that seeks to help fund the deployment of transport systems that collect the captured carbon and bring it to storage sites. 

The legislation would also help provide funding for the storage and use of captured carbon. 

“Carbon capture, utilization, and storage will play a critical role in meeting mid-century climate goals, supporting high-paying manufacturing jobs, and maintaining American competitiveness, but cost barriers currently stand in the way of its widespread deployment in the United States,” Coons said in a statement. 

Many of carbon capture’s supporters see is as a business-friendly way to lessen climate change impacts of industrial processes and energy use. 

Its critics point to difficulties that carbon capture projects have faced and say that efforts should go to bolstering renewables rather than power from fossil fuels. 

The legislation that was introduced Wednesday would establish a program to provide loans for carbon transport infrastructure project and grants to help carry out future growth. 

It would also provide cost-sharing for the deployment of a certain type of storage, prioritizing larger, commercial-scale projects. 

Further, it aims to support state and local programs to create demand for carbon dioxide-made products.

The bill has an additional five Democratic and four Republican co-sponsors in the Senate. In the House, two additional Democrats and two more Republicans have gotten on board.