Technology that removes carbon directly from the sky is about to get a boost. The Biden administration is preparing to announce the first grant winners of a multibillion dollar competition to speed the development of direct air capture hubs that trap atmospheric pollution and store it underground, writes Corbin Hiar. At least 13 companies are vying for a piece of the money pie. Their projects are expected to receive between $3 million and $500 million in matching funds, which can be used to break ground on a major project or for research into, for example, innovative ownership structures. The administration is pouring billions of dollars into new technology aimed at greening the nation’s energy supply and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Those efforts include funding for "green" hydrogen, solar and wind power, electric vehicles and technology that captures planet-warming pollution before it enters the atmosphere. But many climate scientists now agree that sucking existing or “legacy” pollution from the air will likely play a critical role in avoiding the worst climate change has to offer. And the technology’s eventual success could be heavily influenced by how the administration’s initial rollout goes, said Sasha Stashwick of the advocacy group Carbon180. “This is a big deal,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of people’s first introduction to large-scale, technological carbon removal deployment.” Reality checks
The federal grant process for direct air capture requires some of the facilities to be located in communities that are overburdened by fossil fuel pollution. But some advocates worry that oil companies will capitalize on the opportunity to boost their operations. For years, the oil industry has pumped captured carbon underground to help squeeze more oil out of declining wells. "We're concerned about ensuring that this is a solution that's free from relying on fossil fuels to make it work," Stashwick said. There’s demand for technology that removes carbon emissions from the air. But experts doubt this small, emerging industry could scale up quickly without incentives for businesses — including for companies that have made voluntary commitments to cut emissions. To bridge that gap, lawmakers are working to create a pilot program where the government pays companies to remove legacy emissions from the atmosphere.
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