In November, Senator Kerry, chair of the Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Innovation, held a hearing on carbon sequestration and introduced S.2323 The Carbon Capture and Storage Technology Act of 2007 which funds technology to reduce the impact of carbon emissions and slow the growing threat of global climate change. Although the ultimate solution lies in renewables, coal as a source of energy is not going away any time soon, and the need to address the negative effect of coal-fired power plants is urgent.
“If the United States continues to turn a blind eye to dangerous emissions, we will be forced to climb an even steeper hill in battling global climate change,” said Senator John Kerry. “Carbon capture and storage technologies hold enormous potential to reduce our emissions as we power our economy. This legislation and today’s hearing offer a chance to embrace smart solutions the American way: by harnessing technology to help combat the climate change threat.”
Here's the CRS summary of the bill:
Carbon Capture and Storage Technology Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a competitive grant program to provide assistance to at least three, but not more than five, eight-year commercial demonstration projects to demonstrate the long-term effects of sequestration of carbon dioxide in deep geological formations, of which: (1) not fewer than two shall be conducted in deep saline aquifers; and (2) the remainder may be conducted in saline aquifers combined with storage in established oil or gas fields.Requires the Secretary to establish a competitive grant program to provide grants to at least three, but not more than five, commercial demonstration projects for the capture of carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants.
Establishes an interagency task force composed of the Secretary, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Secretary of the Interior to develop regulations providing guidelines and practices for the capture and storage of carbon dioxide.
Requires the Director of the Office of Science to carry out a program for the research and development of potential technologies and approaches for the capture of carbon dioxide. Requires the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program for the research and development of carbon dioxide storage technologies; and (2) develop recommendations for optimal carbon dioxide storage features, practices, and conditions.
Requires the Secretary to complete a national carbon dioxide storage capacity assessment.
Requires the Secretary to offer to enter into agreements with China and India and any other country that is heavily dependent on coal-fired power plants for electricity generation to pursue technology-sharing agreements with respect to carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies.
The British have recently begun to address the last point in the Senator's plan in a partnership with the Chinese. Because of the great number of coal-fired plants generating electricity in China, it's important to tackle this problem not just in Springdale and Sherman City, but in Shanghai and Surat as well.
"Partnerships of this sort are absolutely critical," said Elliot Diringer, director of international strategies at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "In the developing world, it's imperative that soaring energy demand be met with low-carbon technologies. These countries won't be able to do that on their own and it's very much in our interest to help them do it."
As Senator Kerry noted after his trip to Bali to represent Congress at the climate conference, other nations, in particular China, have recently become engaged in the search for solutions to the climate crisis.
" ... one of the most important talks I had was with the Chinese delegation, whom I also met with in Kyoto and in Brazil. Each time before, they refused to engage. This time was different and, I believe, a cause for optimism."
Last Thursday, the Senator testified at a Senate Energy Committee hearing about S.2323 and the importance of supporting technology to address the impact of carbon emissions on our environment and our future.
Video Credit: C-SPAN
