CCS captures more US taxpayer dollars as part of Biden’s green jobs drive

But lavish state support means greater scrutiny on labour standards

The marriage of convenience between the Biden administration and the carbon capture industry is blossoming into a genuine love affair. The White House is going out of its way to put CCS at the front of its plan to revitalise communities hurt by the energy transition – but the industry should expect state support to come with strings attached.

“Breakthrough” carbon capture technologies can apply for funding from the Department of Energy’s $8.5 billion loan guarantee program to enable low-carbon manufacturing of cement, steel and power generation. Separately, DoE is offering $75 million to engineer carbon capture projects for power and industrial plants.

The White House flagged these initiatives as part of nearly $38 billion in existing federal funding identified to revitalise disenfranchised communities, such as those devastated by coal mine or power plant closures. The press release mentions carbon capture ten times, while the inter-agency working group report it came from mentions CCS …