Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) reintroduced the Carbon Limiting Emissions At Refineries (CLEAR) Act to support the research and development of projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the downstream energy sector.  The CLEAR Act authorizes a $200 million program at the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide grants for demonstration projects in promising technologies, such as carbon capture, advanced catalysts, energy reduction, hydrogen firing, and electrification of heat and steam generation, which will help reduce emissions and lower carbon intensity at refineries. 

“To combat climate change, we must work to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “As leaders and partners in this effort, energy companies are developing technologies that will help reduce harmful emissions, but we need meaningful federal investment to get these technologies off the ground.  The CLEAR Act creates a new program at DOE to help identify technologies to reduce emissions at refineries and to invest in demonstration projects to get these technologies off the ground.” 

If enacted, the CLEAR Act would 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 DOE for commercial-scale demonstration projects that will reduce emissions at refineries;
  • Qualifying projects include carbon capture and sequestration technology, energy usage reductions, and use of advanced catalysts. 
  • Awardee would 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.  DOE shall provide awards for these projects once the project is reviewed for financial strength, construction schedule, market risk, and contractor history. 
  • DOE would require cost sharing in the commercial-scale demonstration of these projects; and
• Requiring 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 DOE to establish the new program 180 days after the plan is submitted to Congress.

Congresswoman Fletcher first introduced the CLEAR Act in the 117th Congress. 

To view full text of the bill, click here.