The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Sept. 25 advanced bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to research reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by America’s industrial sector.
The committee passed the Clean Industrial Technology (CIT) Act of 2019, S. 2300, introduced in July by Sen. Capito and bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to establish a program to incentivize innovation and to enhance the industrial competitiveness of the United States by developing technologies to reduce emissions of nonpower industrial sectors, according to the bill’s text.
“I applaud the committee’s passage of our bipartisan Clean Industrial Technology Act today,” Sen. Capito said.
If enacted, S. 2300 would task the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in consultation with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to establish a new advisory council to coordinate funding for developing innovative technologies for industrial processes.
The bill also would authorize DOE to establish a technical assistance program to help states, local governments, and tribal organizations implement low-carbon technologies, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Capito’s office.
“I have been a champion of commonsense policies that advance the deployment of carbon capture technologies to protect the environment and advance our economy,” said Sen. Capito, “and while we have made great strides in supporting carbon capture in the field of power generation, less attention has been given to industrial sectors like steel and cement manufacturing.
“This legislation will help jumpstart that effort by facilitating coordination between the Department of Energy and the private sector to get this important technology developed and out into the field,” she added.
The identical bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 3978, as well as a related bill, H.R. 4230, are under consideration in several House committees.
The measure has garnered support from numerous groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the National Association of Manufacturers, The Nature Conservancy, United Steelworkers, the National Wildlife Federation, and the American Chemical Society.