Note: This article was carried over from CO₂ Sciences as a result of our merger.

Finding ways to convert carbon dioxide from an energy and industrial sector waste product to a useful commodity could spur the development of new technologies, products, and industries while limiting emissions to the atmosphere of climate-altering pollutants. In 2016, U.S. policymakers demonstrated leadership in this area by introducing several bills that would provide commercial deployment incentives for carbon capture use and storage (CCUS) technology.[i]

While CO₂ has been safely used for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO₂ EOR) for over 40 years in the United States, there is an increased focus on identifying options for re-use of CO₂ for other purposes. Indeed, in July, Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced a bill to extend 45Q (the major tax credit for CO₂ EOR) that expressly expanded the use of the tax credit to allow it to apply to other forms of CO₂ utilization.[ii] Recent scientific developments in CO₂ re-use are promising but challenges will have to be overcome to achieve additional progress.

Looking forward, the new administration and new Congress will need to consider how best to incentivize continued research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) and commercial-scale deployment of CO₂ utilization technology, especially as the U.S. begins to lay the foundation for a strategy of deep decarbonization by mid-century…

Read the entire article on The Energy Collective website.