Pennsylvania legislation aimed at helping the nation’s No. 2 natural gas-producing state attract carbon capture projects and enable federally funded hydrogen hubs was approved by lawmakers Thursday night despite criticism that the technology is unproven.
The Republican-penned bill authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to write regulations to oversee underground wells that store carbon dioxide, a critical component of carbon capture and removal technology that supporters envision as a way to slow climate change.
The bill passed both the House and Senate and was sent to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk.
Opponents say it is experimental and expensive compared to other ways of fighting climate change, such as boosting energy conservation and renewable energies. They also say carbon capture has been oversold as a climate change solution and merely will spawn pipelines and extend the life of a fossil fuel industry that burns oil, coal and natural gas.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is otherwise responsible for permitting carbon storage wells in all but three states. Proponents of states taking over permitting say it will speed up approvals of new projects that are critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Backers say attracting carbon capture projects to Pennsylvania will be an integral part of building out two hydrogen hubs recently awarded by the Biden administration.
The two hydrogen hubs are part of a $7 billion federal program designed to kickstart development and production of hydrogen fuel, a key component of President Joe Biden’s agenda to slow climate change by replacing fossil fuels with a cleaner fuel.
The Biden administration has increased tax breaks for developers of carbon capture projects and provided large grants. Developers have responded, flooding the EPA with permit applications for new wells, but only a handful of carbon capture projects are currently operating, and few wells have been approved so far.
