Bringing carbon removal to communities and capitals

The carbon removal field is building new technology centers all across the United States, and they use a wide range of carbon removal technologies to help the U.S. meet our climate goals.

The diversity of methods means we have a huge opportunity to educate lawmakers and get them excited about carbon removal. Inviting elected leaders to see carbon removal up close gives them the space to ask questions about the technology without judgment, meet employees and constituents, and learn more about the community benefits all carbon removal approaches can provide. Long term, these visits help build a broad, bipartisan coalition of supporters essential to growing carbon removal to meet our climate goals.

Over the last six months, the Carbon Removal Alliance has worked with our member companies to bring members of Congress to sites across the country. Personally, I had the opportunity to attend most of these and was really impressed with the great questions from the members of Congress who joined us. We discussed the science and durability of carbon removal and how carbon removal could bring jobs into their communities and what kind of jobs those would be. I can say with certainty that every member of Congress who visited one of our member’s sites left with a greater understanding of carbon removal as a whole and knew more about how the government could support carbon removal — whether that is by setting standards for monitoring, reporting, and verificationopens in a new tab or by supporting a new carbon removal tax creditopens in a new tab.

Avnosopens in a new tab R&D facility in Bridgewater, New Jersey with Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-21)

This summer, Avnosopens in a new tab welcomed Rep. Kean, Jr. to their newly-opened facility in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The tour allowed Rep. Kean to see Avnos’s research and development process up close, hear directly from constituent employees, and learn about the growth of Avnos since its opening. Since May of 2020, Avnos has grown to three locations with 24 employees spread across the United States and secured $36 million in Series A funding. After seeing the Bridgewater site, Rep Kean, Jr. shared, “My tour of Avnos’ facility was insightful. I will continue to support policies that lead to economic opportunities for residents of New Jersey and around the country.” You can read more about the site visit in opens in a new tabNJBIZopens in a new tab.

Avnosopens in a new tab pilot lab in Bakersfield, California with Rep. David Valadao (CA-22)

A couple weeks later in Bakersfield California, Avnos hosted Rep. Valadao to view their California pilot lab, which serves as a proving ground for their technology. Avnos’ carbon removal method utilizes a proprietary form of direct air capture that generates water as one of its coproducts. This water can be used to remove additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and could be repurposed for other community uses in the future. In a press release after the visit, the California congressman shared, “It was great to learn more about how this kind of carbon removal technology can be used to remove legacy emissions and protect energy jobs in our community.” Read more about the site visit in opens in a new tabThe Bakersfield Californianopens in a new tab.

Equaticopens in a new tab pilot site in San Pedro, California with Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44)

Equatic’s pilot site in the Port of Los Angeles welcomed staff members from Rep. Barragán’s office to see their innovative marine carbon removal technology up close. Their pilot site uses electrolysis to separate seawater into an acid stream and base stream as well as hydrogen and oxygen. This green hydrogen is a coproduct of this process that can be commercialized as an additional revenue stream. On her team’s visit to the site, the congresswoman shared, “We received an overview on Equatics global efforts to remove carbon dioxide from seawater and produce clean hydrogen to power ships, port infrastructure, and other forms of transportation. This pilot facility in CA-44 highlights the importance of expanding marine-based clean energy solutions toward full scale commercialization!” Read more about the site visit in opens in a new tabPolitico California Climateopens in a new tab (scroll down to view the write up).opens in a new tab

Ebbopens in a new tab pilot site in South San Francisco, California with Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15)

Ebb Carbon welcomed Rep. Kevin Mullin to their South San Francisco facility to explain how their innovative marine carbon removal technology works and how it can benefit communities and our environment. Ebb recently finalized a purchasing agreement with Microsoft, where the tech company committed to purchasing up to 350,000 tons of removed carbon from Ebbopens in a new tab over the course of ten years. On the visit, the congressman shared, “I recently toured Ebb Carbon, a marine carbon dioxide removal company that is working to accelerate the ocean’s natural ability to safely capture and store carbon. As a member of the House Science, Space, & Technology Committee-Democrats, I really enjoy learning about emerging technologies that aim to combat climate change.” You can read more about the site visit on Rep. Mullin’s Facebook page.opens in a new tab

Noyaopens in a new tab Headquarters in Oakland, California with Representative-elect Lateefah Simon (CA-12)

This fall, Rep-elect Lateefah Simon visited Noya, an Oakland-based direct air capture company. There she learned about Noya’s proprietary technology, which uses activated charcoal to remove carbon dioxide from the air. The activated charcoal is an efficient sorbent for the process because it can be heated directly to remove captured carbon dioxide. After touring the site, the future congresswoman shared, “It’s inspiring to see firsthand the work that companies like Noya are doing to build innovative climate solutions. I am excited by the potential for their Direct Air Capture technology to not only mitigate climate change but also create high-quality jobs right here in Oakland.” Read more about the site visit on Representative-elect Simon’s Instagram page.opens in a new tab

Heirloomopens in a new tab in Tracy, California with Representative Josh Harder (CA-9)

This August, Heirloom welcomed Rep. Harder to their commercial-scale direct air capture facility in California’s Central Valley. The tour showed him their full facility and how Heirloom’s carbon removal technology could help California reach net-zero emissions as a state. This last week, Heirloom shared that it raised $150 million in its latest round of fundraisingopens in a new tab, which will help them continue to scale their technology to meet our climate goals, and bring even more in-demand carbon removal jobs to California. On the visit, the congressman said, “Checked out Heirloom's groundbreaking [carbon removal] facility in Tracy. The future of clean energy starts here!”

If a carbon removal center happens in a forest…

Nearly every month, new and exciting projects are coming online all across the United States (you can check out CDR.FYI’s carbon removal mapopens in a new tab), and it’s critical that our elected officials at all levels know about the carbon removal centers in the communities they represent. That knowledge allows them to more effectively advocate for carbon removal in the halls of Congress and in statehouses all across the country.

What I saw at these site visits is that seeing really is believing, and going to carbon removal centers can fill in a lot of gaps for lawmakers. They learn how the technology enhances natural processes, they see how it is made, and they meet constituent employees working there. Bringing people into the field is not only our opportunity, but our imperative — and will help build the broad coalition of support we need to bring the carbon removal industry to gigaton scale, and keep quality at the forefront of our work.

At the end of one of the site visits, a representative said that she was going to put a piece of the sorbent used for carbon removal in her office in D.C. She asked, “so this is actually going to absorb carbon… like, just sitting on my desk?” When we replied yes, she said, “That is so cool! This is going to be the new thing I show people when they come into my office.”