Sen. Barrasso's committee on Energy and Natural Resources is currently holding a hearing to examine challenges and opportunities for advancing and deploying carbon utilization technologies in the United States.
What the main trend of this testimony has been: more money needed from the feds to labs and producers, more incentives, to make this industry viable.
But the upside, proponents say, are big. More jobs, decarbonization of heavy industries like construction, etc.
At this point, big carbon capture projects have had some trouble. But some companies still pursuing them. This published yesterday. houstonchronicle.com/business/energ…
Begger said we need to be able to demonstrate this technology can be scaled-up. Others say we need funding, political will, and policies like "buy clean" purchasing mandates to get the industry going.
Permitting is another key issue.
"We need to think of this as a Manhattan Project" said Randall Atkins, CEO of Ramaco Coal.
Atkins said coal communities already have infrastructure to sustain these industries.
Barrasso also brings up banking industry, where more than finances -- social or climate concerns -- play into decisions to finance these projects.
Scale has been a big conversation here but, as Sen. Heinrich argued, there are more complicated aspects to this. We're not making iPhones, he said, and the dynamic is different.
Begger said that it comes down to a diversity of technologies being deployed all at once.
Dr. Brian Anderson, Director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Energy, says that numerous products utilizing CCUS are already close to market. Some products are looking at 2-5 years of development to get there.
Also looking at byproducts as feedstock for rare earth minerals production. Some talk about its potential for geothermal, but it's still experimental at this point.
Anderson: "If we are to decarbonize our economy, we do need price signals that the private sector can run to the bank and are bankable."
There was some fed money proposed under Joe Manchin's EFFECT Act of 2019 but that hasn't been touched since... 2019. energy.senate.gov/services/files…
Now we're looking at the American Jobs in Energy Manufacturing Act of 2021, which specifically looks at policies to boost carbon capture, including tax credits. manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press…
Sen. Cantwell questions the wisdom of using taxpayer dollars to "pick winners and losers" in an experimental field. Though Wyoming's test bed has shown promise, she said, she's still iffy on taking business risks with taxpayer dollars.
Gaurav Sant (the winner of the XPrize competition) says they can't really understand that until they actually prove scalability for industrial applications. That's a chicken and egg issue... they need money and will to do that, as they've said several times in the hearing.
Looks like Corey Lewandowski's role in Wyoming has been cemented.
He's actively fundraising for an "eventual major primary opponent" to Liz Cheney, apparently to be vetted and interviewed by former President Donald Trump.
I did actually reach out to Trump's office last week for an interview but have not heard back... would @CLewandowski_ have any interest in chatting?
Mr. Lewandowski popped up in the conversation around Wyoming's runoff election bill, which some saw as a way to avoid the vote-splitting that typically occurs among more right-wing candidates against more "traditional" conservative candidates.
Rep. Romero-Martinez has attached extensive death penalty repeal language to Sen. Lynn Hutchings' Homicide Amendments bill. wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/SF…
Rep. Jennings is calling a rules committee to decide whether it's germane or not.
This is a third reading amendment, so if it passes, the House will have overstepped the Senate on death penalty repeal. They killed it pretty soundly on that side of the building.
They could vote not to concur, but that possibly creates challenges for the rest of the bill.
Making this even MORE interesting is the fact Romero-Martinez's name is on the bill as a co-sponsor.
So he could very well be trying to tank a bill he co-sponsored in an attempt to repeal Wyoming's death penalty.
Rep. Romero-Martinez -- the sponsor -- says he wanted to "speak from the heart" as a Republican working to expand Medicaid.
"I'm probably the first person elected to the House [who] lives in dire poverty. but I do know how to take a shower and put on a tie."
Franz Fuchs, of the Dept. of Health, says our traditional Medicaid program is largely made up of low income kids, typically those at around 356% of the poverty level.
We'll be hearing House Bill 162 (the Medicaid expansion bill) in the Senate Labor and Health Committee this morning. (After an abortion bill is finished being heard, of course.)
It's been a wild trip to get here. Two different bills, lots of drama. A quick thread...
The Senate Labor Health Committee (the first one we covered) got this bill first. Surprisingly, it passed by a 3-2 vote to get to the floor.
Why is that surprising? Sen. Troy McKeown -- the swing vote -- had spent the entire meeting railing against "socialist healthcare."
The House sent their version of the bill to the House Revenue Committee, which advanced it 5-3-1.
The bill then went to the floor, where it survived a late maneuver by opponents to keep it from being heard before a key procedural deadline. That effort failed.
Sen. Case is making a motion to have Medicaid expansion re-referred to Senate Revenue Committee from the Labor/Health Committee. Watch here:
Labor/Health was considered tough (they passed their version of the bill narrowly) but Revenue much friendlier.
"This is the type of decision that may be life or death for the people of Wyoming," Rothfuss said.
"These are uninsured, uninsurable individuals, and we know they struggle," he added. "And we've provided no options, no alternatives, and no debate."
"I know everyone in here feels like they have all the information they need to make a decision," he said. "But I don't understand why we're so afraid to bring this to the floor."