On March 12, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittees held a joint hearing to discuss the viability of carbon capture and storage (CCS) techniques used to reduce CO2 emissions from  power plants. Newly built coal and gas plants will be required to integrate CCS technologies in order to adhere to Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule on emissions reduction.

Opponents of CCS implementation argued that it has not been successfully demonstrated on a commercial level. CCS projects currently in commercial use are not on the large power plant scale. Large-scale power plants that both capture and store carbon are still in the demonstration phase, although two projects, including Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s Peterhead Power Station, are under construction.

Proponents of CCS implementation argued that EPA is required under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to promote best available control technologies (BACT) such as CCS. EPA is only obligated to demonstrate technical viability, they said. Because polluters have no motivation to develop CCS, it is impossible for EPA to demonstrate commercial viability.

In January, Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY) introduced the Electricity Security and Affordability Act, (H.R. 3826), which aims to repeal the EPA proposed rule. The bill passed the House and awaits a decision in the Senate.

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency; House Energy and Commerce Committee; E&E News; the Federal Register; House Science, Space, and Technology Committee; MIT Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies Program; Royal Dutch Shell, PLC