(Washington, DC) – Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-02) today introduced legislation to boost carbon capture at natural gas power plants. The New Energy Frontiers Through Carbon Innovation Act will promote research and development for carbon capture technology, and establish a “Carbon Innovation Hub” to achieve an environmental moonshot: turning CO2 and other greenhouse gasses into valuable commodities.
“It’s time to stop offering the American people the false choice of inaction or economy-crushing regulation when it comes to climate change,” said Crenshaw. “Texas is already leading the way in carbon capture and my legislation will simply allow this innovation to take off across the country, so we can market this technology to the world. This New Energy Frontier will help power the American economy in a cleaner way and is based on a bedrock environmental principle: recycling waste into a useful commodity.”
Carbon capture uses technology to capture carbon from power plants, allowing cleaner energy production without increasing electricity costs for consumers. Texas companies have already put this technology to productive use.
NET Power has the capacity to provide electricity to 5,000 homes in the Houston area while achieving net zero emissions. Petranova, another carbon capture plant in Houston, takes the equivalent of 350,000 cars off the road each day of operation.
Crenshaw’s New Energy Frontier answers the challenge of reducing emissions amidst rising energy demand. The legislation directs $50 million of existing funds within the Department of Energy (DOE) for research, development, and deployment of carbon capture technology for natural gas generated power. The bill also directs $25 million of existing DOE funds annually for the Carbon Innovation Hub that will examine solutions to carbon utilization.
Crenshaw’s New Energy Frontiers Through Carbon Innovation Act is one of the first pieces of legislation included in the Republican environmental plan.