WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bipartisan group of members of Congress and stakeholders have voiced support for the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act. The legislation is numbered S. 383 in the Senate and H.R. 1166 in the House of Representatives. The Senate version passed the Senate as part of S.1790, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The USE IT Act would support carbon utilization and direct air capture research. The bill would also support federal, state, and non-governmental collaboration in the construction and development of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) facilities and carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines. This collaboration will ensure that there is a clear regulatory framework to facilitate further development.

What They Are Saying About the Legislation:

“I want to make American energy as clean as we can, as fast as we can, without raising costs on families. The best way to do that is through innovation, not government regulation. The USE IT Act is a bipartisan bill to promote carbon capture technologies that take carbon out of the air and find productive uses for it. These promising technologies could result in significant emissions reductions. The USE IT Act will support the type of great research already happening in Wyoming at the Integrated Test Center and around the country.” – EPW Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY)

“There’s a lot more we can do beyond that [extending the 45Q tax credits for carbon capture technologies] but it was a heck of a start. It’s one of those things that shows you can use incentives and they work. We saw it on a number of issues in the energy space and this is no exception. Where incentivizing the technology has brought manufacturers out of the woodwork, ready to test some of this and actually put it into place. There’s plenty more we can do in this space, starting with enacting the USE IT Act.” – Ross Eisenberg, vice president for Energy and Resources Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing (9/18/19)

“Carbon capture and utilization technologies are critical tools for managing these climate change risks to military operations and installations and enjoy widespread bipartisan support. The USE IT Act, included in the Senate-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), represents an important step forward in addressing those risks by incentivizing the development of technologies for direct air capture and the increased beneficial use of captured carbon.” – 17 Bipartisan Members of the House of Representatives in a letter calling for USE IT Act to be included in NDAA legislation.

“Inclusion of the USE IT in the final NDAA will establish new research and development for carbon capture and utilization technologies – critical tools in managing the risks to military operations, installations, and readiness related to a changing climate. These climate related, national security risks have been identified by the Department of Defense and many experts have validated that combating climate change necessitates the use of carbon capture and direct air capture technologies.” – 2 lead bipartisan sponsors of H.R. 1166 in a letter calling for USE IT Act to be included in NDAA legislation.

“The United States has the opportunity to lead the way in the productive and beneficial utilization of captured CO2 and carbon monoxide as building blocks for producing low-carbon fuels, advanced materials, chemicals and other products that are critical to our nation’s defense industry and tour continued technological leadership. Funding in the USE IT Act will help lay the groundwork for development of new technologies, industries, jobs, and markets for captured carbon that expand beyond current use and geological storage of CO2 through enhanced oil recovery.” – 41 environmental, advocacy, labor, and industry organizations that make up the Carbon Capture Coalition in a letter calling for USE IT Act to be included in NDAA.

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