Putting All the Carbon Management Innovation Pieces Together

One of the most exciting clean energy technologies the United States leads the world on is carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The world’s abundant natural resources, or using them for industrial activity don’t alone create climate change, the emissions from them do.

That's why reducing carbon dioxide emissions at scale doesn’t mean you must scrap existing technology. In America, we have the incredible ability to innovate our way to a clean energy future. CCUS can be used in the power sector to reduce emissions from natural gas and coal fired generation, ethanol production facilities, and difficult to decarbonize industries such as steel and concrete.

Perhaps you’ve heard that CCUS is expensive, or that it’s only going to benefit the oil and gas industry. At ClearPath, we follow the facts, so let's dig into how this technology is cross-cutting and how it can be an economically viable tool for lowering global emissions.

Congress authorized a moonshot program in the Energy Act of 2020 to create a federal demonstration program to work with private sector innovators to scale up new technology. In 2021, Congress funded the program through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). In December 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) selected three carbon capture demonstration projects for award negotiations, totaling $890 million in potential awards. These projects include the Baytown CCS Project in Texas, Project Tundra in North Dakota, and the Sutter Decarbonization Project in California.

Energy innovation is a little different than, say, a new app for your phone that runs algorithms. These are large construction projects that require millions of dollars of capital to build — just to see if the technology can work in real-world settings. The U.S. has a proud history of supporting energy projects in the early stages of development using demonstration programs. Once new technology is proven and shows its ability to lower commercialization costs, the private sector can adopt the technology. You can call this a public private partnership, or you can call it American innovation leadership coupled with good old-fashioned, market-based principles. 

OCED is a critical piece of this innovation pipeline to aid in the transition of ideas from a lab to real-world applications. OCED’s CCUS demonstration projects can spur additional private-sector investment, and support the development of critical transportation and storage infrastructure across the CCUS supply chain. 

Recognizing the importance of CCUS technologies in the Energy Act of 2020, Congress followed it up with the bipartisan IIJA of 2021, which allocated DOE $12 billion to carry out a range of carbon management initiatives, from direct air capture hubs to a CCUS demonstration program. IIJA also established OCED to help administer these new initiatives in collaboration with the private sector. 

3 awarded, 3 more to go

The Energy Act and IIJA authorized and funded six potential CCUS demonstration projects. So far, only the three projects we mentioned have been selected for award negotiation – and none have officially received any award funds yet. A timely and efficient rollout of these critical funding opportunities will provide applicants visibility into expected timelines and decision-making milestones and ensure this program has the impact Congress intended. 

Coordination of federal programs

A full value chain approach is critical for effectively demonstrating and deploying carbon capture technology. That includes developing a dedicated, diverse and reliable carbon transportation network, including pipeline, truck, barge, rail, and storage infrastructure.

To do this, OCED can leverage funding opportunities from other DOE programs, because once you capture the carbon it needs to go somewhere for utilization or storage. For example, Project Tundra, selected for award negotiation in the carbon capture demonstration program, has participated in DOE’s CarbonSAFE Initiative, which supports carbon storage projects. Another example is the DOE Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance (CIFIA) program, which provides loans and grants to carbon transport project developers. By ensuring all midstream partners involved with OCED, from private sector pipeline to barge operators, are aware of and eligible for CIFIA support, funding opportunities can be leveraged across programs to support this critical transportation infrastructure. As DOE facilitates connections across complementary programs, it will be important that selected projects are co-located with other CCUS hubs and infrastructure to minimize duplicative efforts and optimize federal resources.

DOE could also facilitate the sharing of key learnings with CCUS demonstration program participants, including midstream and downstream project partners, and other offices. For example, in December 2023, DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced $40 million in funding for technical and informational educational assistance for carbon transport and storage project developers. DOE could ensure any learnings and best practices identified through FECM programs are transferred to participants in OCED’s carbon capture demonstration program and project partners. In addition, OCED can also provide specialized support for these demonstration projects. DOE can help applicants identify strategies to reduce project costs, hire personnel with the necessary skills and expertise, manage stakeholder relationships, and create plans to manage these large, complex projects.

Don’t forget about  permitting

The timeline for permitting these projects is currently a tremendous barrier to success. Cross-agency coordination will be key to ensuring administrative delays do not prevent the build-out of transportation and storage infrastructure and hinder applicants’ ability to secure funding opportunities. Each part of the CCUS value chain is subject to its own unique, complex regulatory requirements that could fall under state or federal jurisdiction depending on the state. For example, applicants to DOE’s carbon capture demonstration program are required to obtain a Class VI permit, which allows for the underground storage of carbon. These permits are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or, in some cases, by states that have been given authority, also called primacy. DOE requires applicants to provide evidence that these permits have been obtained or submitted to the EPA. If an applicant does not have a permit, they must explain when they expect to receive it. 

However, the timeline for obtaining Class VI permits from the EPA can be long and unpredictable. It can take the EPA six years to issue a Class VI permit, and the agency has been slow to grant primacy to states – which have proven their ability to grant Class VI permits in a fraction of the time. A couple of perfect examples of how Class VI primacy works wonders are North Dakota where the state was able to issue a permit for Red Trail Energy in less than five months, or in Wyoming where their Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a draft permit for Tallgrass Energy’s Juniper I-1 well in just over one year.

Similarly, applicants must also demonstrate they will have access to transportation infrastructure. However, carbon pipelines, which are regulated at the state level, have encountered an unpredictable regulatory environment, leading to significant delays and even the cancellation of projects. Streamlined permitting for carbon pipelines and updated Congressional direction for carbon pipelines R&D and safety standards would aid in the build-out of this key infrastructure.

Congress is already leaning into the issue of improvements to pipeline permitting and development. In March of 2024, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee passed the Next Generation Pipelines Research and Development Act with bipartisan support. This bill would seek to modernize our pipeline system by authorizing new research and development programs focused on various pipeline technologies and uses, including the transportation of carbon.

From R&D, demonstrations, and transport we covered here to the private sector incentives known as 45Q, Congress has put the pieces on the table to finally scale up carbon capture. If we can find the proper permitting piece, and put them all together,  the United States can reduce emissions at home and turn the innovations and technologies into business opportunities for American developers to find customers all around the world.

Procurement As A Catalyzing Federal Instrument For Carbon Dioxide Removal

Ocean CDR Permitting and Regulations 101

Carbon Capture Permit Backlog Threatens Climate Progress (Real Clear Energy)

This op-ed was originally published by Real Clear Energy on March 21, 2023. Click here to read the entire piece.

America’s energy economy is at a reckoning point and we must not allow the vast domestic resources, nor the investments in new clean energy technologies, to be squandered.

The 2022 energy tax incentives, along with the bipartisan infrastructure law of 2021 and increasing private sector investments in innovation have the potential to catapult U.S. clean energy projects and firmly establish American global leadership in clean energy deployment.

It’s truly an unprecedented moment and one that the United States can’t afford to let pass by. But all of this potential will be little more than talking points if projects cannot be permitted in a timely manner. Nowhere is this more apparent than in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), which the International Energy Agency has said will be “necessary to meet national, regional and even corporate net zero goals.”

On the surface, moving more CCS projects has the support of both parties in Congress and the White House. President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan told energy executives at the CERAWeek conference in Houston that “carbon capture and storage is a priority for this Administration.”

That was music to the ears of many climate advocates, like myself, as well as the many energy project developers who are awaiting approvals for their CCS projects.

Click here to read the full article

Biden missed a groundbreaking opportunity to level with Americans about climate policy (MarketWatch)

This op-ed was originally published by MarketWatch on February 8, 2023. Click here to read the entire piece.

President Joe Biden missed a critical opportunity during his State of the Union address on Tuesday. In touting the bipartisan infrastructure law, he directed a comment towards Republicans – “I’ll see you at the groundbreaking.”

In reality, breaking ground on anything will need a permit, and we unfortunately did not hear a plan to fix the permitting crisis. Reducing carbon emissions in the U.S. to net zero is actually achievable.

Done right, we could improve American energy security and be even more competitive in the global energy market. Europe is scrambling to keep pace with America’s new clean energy incentives. Parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East have no electricity today while others are growing so fast they will need orders of magnitude more power. These are big challenges, but there is a political path forward to make more energy for the world, and make it cleaner. To have a chance at success, the U.S. must change how it permits the construction of clean energy projects.

Click here to read the full article

Removing Emissions Already in Our Atmosphere

We often focus clean energy policy discussions on the next generation of technologies that emit less, or even no carbon dioxide (CO2). Those innovations are incredibly exciting, but as more and more companies are implementing bold goals to reach “net zero,” it’s imperative that we consider the great deal of CO2 already in the atmosphere. When we look at solutions, removing this existing CO2 needs to be part of the discussion. The good news is there are tremendously exciting activities and technology developments happening to address this challenge.

“Carbon dioxide removal” or “CDR” is becoming a common term in climate and clean energy policy discussions. But what is it? ClearPath is beginning to tackle the what, but also the how.

What is CDR?

Carbon is the foundation of all life, but too much of it turning into carbon dioxide and getting into the atmosphere is what causes climate challenges. The total amount of carbon on our planet does not change. However, where the carbon is located — as CO2 in the atmosphere or on Earth — is in flux.

Here’s another way to think about it: greenhouse gases are building up in the atmosphere like a bathtub being filled with water. But, like a bathtub, if CO2 is emitted faster than plants can absorb it, a little overflow is not ideal and significant overflow will cause all kinds of problems.

Right now, there’s more CO2 in the atmosphere than there should be. The National Academy of Sciences estimates that roughly 10 gigatons (Gt) of CO2 will need to be removed yearly by mid-century to reach net-zero – this doubles to 20 Gt globally by 2100. Though planting more trees to absorb more CO2 is part of the solution, trees do not remove CO2 as quickly or permanently as engineered carbon dioxide removal technologies. What’s needed are innovative solutions that can permanently remove significant amounts of CO2 and keep it out of the atmosphere, and grow and support economic and community development.

A few solutions are starting to gain popularity, like Carbon Engineering’s direct air capture machines or Charm Industrial’s biomass to bio-oil process, but these solutions alone are not enough — this is where policy steps in.

How can policymakers and the private sector accelerate CDR solutions?

A new proposal in the U.S. Senate to advance carbon removal: The Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies (CREST) Act was introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on June 16, 2022.

The CREST Act would build on CDR research, demonstration, and development (RD&D) authorized by past legislation to expand the Department of Energy’s (DOE) scope of carbon removal and storage technologies. The Energy Act of 2020 authorized the first comprehensive federal carbon removal research and development program, and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) invested $3.6 billion in direct air capture (DAC) technology. The CREST Act creates a path toward diversifying CDR and storage research programs at DOE and the Department of Interior (DOI), quantifies the net impact of carbon removal projects, and establishes an innovative pilot carbon dioxide purchasing program to accelerate market commercialization of high-quality CDR solutions.

With increasing private and public sector commitments to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, companies are scrambling to invest in quantifiable, durable, and verifiable CDR solutions. Despite increased interest, current cost estimates show that private sector investment alone is not sufficient to research and deploy carbon removal pathways. The federal government has historically played a key role in scaling up new technologies through research, increased testing, and enhanced public-private partnerships. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere could follow that same model.

On the upside, investments in CDR have soared since 2021 – Bloomberg noted that private sector investments in CDR reached $400 million in four years from 2017 - 2020, then spiked to $2 billion in four months of 2021. Just this summer, a business coalition led by Stripe launched the $925 million Frontier Fund to purchase permanent carbon removals over the next eight years. Additionally, the developer of the world’s largest direct air capture facility, Climeworks, recently closed $600+ million from investors

Federal policy is also already advancing CDR technologies, including DAC. A few notable advancements include:

ClearPath is plugging in and recently hosted an educational briefing with Congressional staff on the importance of adding CDR to the climate solutions toolkit.


ClearPath Chief Strategy Officer Jeremy Harrell moderated an expert panel discussion with Tom Michels of United Airlines,
William Swetra of Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, Harrell, Nan Ransohoff of Stripe, and Shashank Samala of Heirloom (L to R).

Nan Ransohoff, Head of Stripe Climate, highlighted that carbon removal efforts are substantially nascent and deserve government attention. The U.S. has the opportunity to become a leader in this space because “we cannot control what countries like China do, but the US can lead on CDR innovation at home and provide the high-quality solutions other countries aren’t willing to,” said Ransohoff.

When asked about the challenges facing the deployment of carbon removal, Shashank Samala, CEO of U.S.-based DAC company Heirloom, noted that “policy and incentives such as 45Q are going to be critical as we aim to scale these solutions.” It is important to note that there are a handful of bipartisan proposals pending in Congress that both increase the value of the credit per metric ton captured and extend eligibility to projects that begin construction by the early 2030s.

Tom Michels and William Swetra also noted that if we hope to deploy and scale CDR technologies, early engagement with impacted communities will be key to understand their needs and educate on the benefits of CDR deployment, including local economic opportunities and potential synergies that support existing local industries. Further, the pair recognized the DAC Hubs provision included in the bipartisan IIJA as an exciting opportunity to catalyze early deployment of DAC solutions to reach gigaton scale quickly and meet global carbon reduction goals.

In order to meet carbon dioxide emissions reduction goals, we need affordable solutions focused on technological innovation and market-based incentives for supply to meet surging demand. Concurrently, regulatory certainty that fosters the building out of storage and CO2 storage infrastructure is needed to enable the scale up of these solutions. A diverse set of high-quality CDR solutions is essential to removing carbon dioxide already in our atmosphere and affordably reducing emissions across the global economy.

Carbon Dioxide Removal 101