CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has joined a bipartisan group of Governors in writing a letter of support to Congress on the “Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions” or SCALE Act.
Co-sponsored by Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the bill will support the buildout of the infrastructure necessary to transport CO2 from where it is captured to where it can be utilized in manufacturing or safely and securely sequestered underground.
The letter is co-signed by Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana, and Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania. The Governors urge strong support for the legislation, “which aims to develop an interconnected CO2 transport and storage infrastructure to help the U.S. reach net-zero emissions and meet mid-century climate goals.”
“We urge Congress to prioritize the inclusion of this critical legislation in any broader infrastructure package, given its essential role in helping to achieve net-zero emissions economywide,” the letter reads. “As a group of collective states with a shared interest, we stand ready to work with you to implement policies that scale up the regional and national CO2 transport infrastructure to achieve net-zero emissions goals.”
“Wyoming has always been a leader in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration (CCUS) and we are committed to making Wyoming the next state to have a CCUS facility,” Governor Gordon said. “I recently set the goal for Wyoming to not only be carbon neutral but actually carbon negative while continuing to use fossil fuels.”
The bill was originally introduced by Representatives David B. McKinley (R-W.Va.) and Marc Veasey (D-TX). Along with Cheney, Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Pete Stauber (R-MN), and Terri Sewell (D-AL) joined as co-sponsors.
Following the introduction of the bill, Cheney released this statement, “Coal is a vital resource for Wyoming and for our nation. Through technological advancements that our state has championed, we know we can continue to expand its use as a clean and reliable tool to power our economy and support families. I’m proud to co-sponsor this bipartisan legislation that will help support the coal industry by advancing the availability and use of carbon capture. I will continue to fight to expand this technology in a way that benefits energy producers and protects the continued use of our state’s natural resources.”
