Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf recently signed a letter of support along with the governors of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, for the Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions Act (SCALE Act) re-introduced to Congress in late March 2021. The legislation enables the transport and storage infrastructure needed to scale up carbon capture, removal, use, and storage (CCUS) across industries throughout the US, including those proven historically difficult to de-carbonize, including steel and cement.
According to the Great Plains Institute, “Bipartisan legislation re-introduced on March 17 could provide game-changing support for carbon dioxide (CO2) transport and storage infrastructure that will be essential to reaching midcentury climate goals.”
In their joint letter to Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in the Senate and Representatives Marc Veasey (D-TX) and David McKinley (R-WV) in the House, the governors call the SCALE Act “critical legislation” and urge Congress to prioritize its inclusion in any broader infrastructure packages “given its essential role in helping to achieve net-zero emissions economywide.”
Early work on the MRCI is focused on providing clarity regarding carbon storage systems (and therefore, potential storage hub locations), as well as consideration of aboveground infrastructure and CO2 point-source demographics. This information will play a key role in allocating SCALE Act resources should the legislation be enacted.
More on US CO2 Transport Infrastructure.