SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – A bill in the Illinois legislature would create a regulatory framework to streamline carbon capture and storage projects in the state.

Sponsored by state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, the plan is backed by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Climate Jobs Illinois and Matt Rush, the former president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

“We’re falling short in our decarbonization goals,” said state Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago.

Cunningham is sponsoring the senate version of the bill. He said Illinois is not going to meet its goal of having at least 25% of its energy come from renewable sources by 2025.

“We have to look for new ways to stop damaging carbon from going into our environment and warming the planet, and carbon capture technology can do that,” Cunningham said.

Carbon capture and storage has three main components according to the Clean Air Task Force:

• Carbon dioxide is captured from the exhaust facility and separated from other gasses that go into the atmosphere.
• The carbon dioxide is then taken to a geological storage site, typically by pipeline, rail truck or ship.
• The carbon dioxide is then stored underground usually at least a mile below the ground.

“Carbon capture and storage is a proven technology. It is safe and viable, and Illinois is poised to be a global leader in climate management due to our exceptional geology, natural resources and a robust regulatory framework, all of which have been demonstrated in our state,” said carbon capture and storage scientist Sallie Greenberg.

She led a 2022 study on the technology that estimated carbon capture and storage could create more than 14,000 jobs in Illinois. It also precited carbon capture and storage could pump more $3 billion into the state’s economy over a decade.

“With this legislation, we can decarbonize without deindustrializing our state. Illinois can lead the way sustainably and economically, ensuring that businesses will be able to innovate and grow for decades to come,” said Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO Mark Denzler.

Not everyone’s on board with the proposal.

The Sierra Club Illinois Chapter released a statement opposing the legislation:

“Illinois is woefully unprotected and unprepared for the threat from the fossil fuel industry to make Illinois a ground-zero state for carbon capture. The legislation introduced last week does not adequately protect Illinois communities, our water, and our climate from the dangers of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) because it focuses solely on sequestration. We need legislation that regulates CO2 pipelines at every point of the CCS industrial cycle, including at the point of capture and when transported through pipelines. We’re working with landowners, farmers, and advocates across the state to instead advance common-sense legislation that puts a moratorium on CO2 pipelines to ensure our water resources are protected and that all liability rests with private developers, not Illinois taxpayers.”

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