Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) introduced a bill to support the research and development of projects that reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in the downstream energy sector.  Her bill, H.R. 6562, the Carbon Limiting Emissions At Refineries (CLEAR) Act establishes a new $200 million authorization program at the Department of Energy (DOE) for demonstration projects in promising technologies, like carbon capture, advanced catalysts, energy reduction, hydrogen firing, and electrification of heat and steam generation, that will help reduce emissions at refineries. 

“To combat climate change, we must work to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.  As leaders and partners in this effort, energy companies are developing technologies that will help reduce harmful emissions, but we need serious federal investment to get these technologies off the ground,” said Congresswoman Fletcher.  “My legislation creates a new program at the Department of Energy to help identify technologies to reduce emissions at refineries and invest in demonstration projects to get these technologies off the ground in order to make a real impact.” 

Congresswoman Fletcher’s legislation will invest in the research, development, and commercial deployment of projects capable of making significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at refineries by: 

• Authorizing a new $200 million program at the DOE for demonstration projects that will reduce emissions at refineries.

• Authorizing the DOE to award funding for commercial-scale demonstration projects to test the scale of technology needed for commercial operation: 
  • Qualifying projects include carbon capture and sequestration technology, energy usage reductions, and use of advanced catalysts. 
  • Awardee will be required to apply the funding for technology that has completed pilot testing and is designed to reduce carbon intensity and greenhouse gasses, or to capture carbon.  The DOE shall provide awards for these projects once the project is reviewed for financial strength, construction schedule, market risk, and contractor history. 
  • The DOE will require cost sharing in the commercial-scale demonstration of these projects.
• Requiring the DOE to submit a plan within 180 days to Congress outlining opportunities for the research, development, and commercialization of projects capable of making significant reductions in greenhouse gas and carbon emissions, and requiring the DOE to establish the new program 180 days after the plan is submitted to Congress.