Recent Announcements
Congratulations to FECM's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Dr. Jennifer Wilcox for being named to Time's 100 Climate list, which recognizes individuals making significant progress in fighting climate change by creating business value. Dr. Wilcox was named to the list for her work in reshaping the former Office of Fossil Energy. Jigar Shah, Director of DOE's Loan Programs Office, was also named to this year's list.
On August 11, the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced in the Federal Register its intent to launch a “Responsible Carbon Management Initiative" (Initiative). The Initiative aims to encourage and recognize project developers and others in industry to pursue the highest levels of safety, environmental stewardship, accountability, community engagement, and societal benefits in carbon management projects. The announcement included a Request for Information soliciting input from all stakeholders on the Initiative and draft Principles for Responsible Carbon Management Projects. The comment period closed on September 30, 2023.
FECM received 84 comments via email and in the federal docket in response to the Request for Information. Two of these commenters requested that their comments not be published; the remaining comments received are available here. FECM is currently reviewing comments, working to finalize the principles, and is planning to launch the first phase of the Initiative in early- to mid-2024.
On October 31, DOE and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) finalized a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperative efforts between CEQ and DOE to establish, maintain, and manage two carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) Permitting Task Forces and clarify the agencies' respective roles in administering the Task Forces. The two Task Forces are being established pursuant to the USE IT Act. The purpose of each Task Force is the same, but the scope is to differ by geographical area – one Task Force will focus on federal lands and the Outer Continental Shelf, and the other will focus on non-federal lands.
On November 14, DOE announced over $444 million in funding for 16 selected projects to expand carbon dioxide storage infrastructure to bolster our nation's carbon management industry. The projects were selected under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Carbon Storage Validation and Testing funding opportunity announcement to support the development of new and expanded large-scale, commercial carbon storage projects with capacities to store 50 or more million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
On November 15, DOE announced an international working group to advance comparable and reliable information about the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the natural gas supply chain to drive global emission reductions. The working group will develop a consistent framework for the measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification of methane, carbon dioxide, and other GHG emissions that occur during the production, processing, transmission, liquefaction, transport, and distribution of natural gas.
On December 1, DOE announced up to $40 million in federal funding for projects that will help advance commercial-scale carbon capture, transport, and storage across the United States to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from industrial operations and power plants, as well as from legacy emissions in the atmosphere.
|
