Hoeven Helps Introduce Legislation to Advance Construction of CCUS Infrastructure

Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Would Provide Low-Interest Loans & Grants to Support CO2 Transportation and Storage Capacity

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today helped introduce the Storing CO₂ and Lowering Emissions Act (SCALE) Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to advance the construction of the infrastructure needed to implement carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies. Among other efforts, the bill, which is sponsored by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), would:

Establish the CO₂ Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (CIFIA) program to provide:

Flexible, low-interest loans for CO₂ transport infrastructure projects.
Grants for excess capacity on new infrastructure to facilitate future growth.
The bill also includes grants for Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies for CO₂ transport infrastructure.

Build on the existing CarbonSAFE program to provide cost-sharing for commercial-scale saline geologic CO₂ storage projects.
Provide grants for states to establish their own permitting programs for Class VI wells, which are used for geologic or long-term CO₂ storage.

This aligns with Hoeven’s successful efforts to secure EPA approval for North Dakota to be the primary regulator over Class VI wells, the first such approval in the nation.

“For more than a decade, North Dakota has been working to crack the code on CCUS technology,” said Hoeven. “That means not only proving that CCUS works in the lab, but also providing the right legal, tax and regulatory environment to support its implementation. Our legislation addresses a key aspect of this effort – building the pipeline infrastructure we need to transport and store captured CO₂emissions in the appropriate geologic formations. This is about investing in new technologies and helping bring them to scale so they will be commercially-viable over the long-term. That’s how we will empower America to continue utilizing all of its abundant energy resources, helping to ensure our national and economic security.”

In addition to Hoeven, Coons and Cassidy, the SCALE Act is cosponsored by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). A companion to the legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.).

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