Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies Will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Rep. Rick Boucher)
June 12th, 2008
I am pleased to introduce today the Carbon Capture and Storage Early Deployment Act, bipartisan legislation which will establish a non-governmental fund and entity to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. CCS is a method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by capturing and injecting underground the carbon dioxide emitted from electricity generation plants that use fossil fuels, including petroleum, natural gas and coal.
72 percent of our nation’s electricity is generated through fossil fuel combustion. 51 percent is based on coal use; 20 percent is reliant on natural gas and 1.6 percent on petroleum. Given our extensive reliance on fossil fuels and the current unavailability of sufficient alternatives to them, the continued use of fossil fuels is essential to our economic security.
The Carbon Capture and Storage Early Deployment Act addresses this clear need by enabling electric utilities that use coal to have the continued ability to do so when a mandatory program is implemented to control greenhouse gas emissions.
I am preparing to draft a mandatory greenhouse gas control measure which will rely on cap and trade to address rising global temperatures and climate change. Power plants and industrial companies that burn fossil fuels will be required to lessen their emissions of CO2 in accordance with a schedule set in the statute. As CO2 constraints become ever more severe, not only coal using facilities will need to use CO2 capture and storage technologies, but facilities using natural gas and petroleum will as well. The use of CCS technology will enable fossil fuel users to meet the reduction requirements of the measure while continuing to use coal, oil or natural gas.
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