Today, the EPA unveiled its long-awaited power plant emissions rules, which are likely to rely on failed carbon capture technologies at fossil fuel power plants. Proponents believe that new incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act will render this technology more economically viable. But years of experience and billions of dollars have been squandered trying to make carbon capture work.

Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter issued the following statement in response: 

“Carbon capture is nothing more than a fossil fuel industry propaganda scheme. Billions of dollars have been wasted trying to prove that this technology is real – and all we have to show for it are a series of spectacular failures. Throwing good money after bad is not a climate solution – it’s an industry bailout.

“Even if the technology managed to meet even the lowest thresholds for emissions capture, the energy required to power the facilities would negate much of the supposed benefit. 

“The carbon capture and storage industry is based on dubious accounting and corporate secrecy. At present, there is no system for tracking emissions that are supposedly captured, nor even any public disclosure of which companies are acquiring the generous tax credits being offered for such capture. The federal CCS program is nothing more than a subsidy for polluters.”

“There are plenty of other avenues the Biden administration could pursue to rein in climate pollution. But nothing is more important than taking immediate actions to limit the supply of dirty fossil fuels. This requires using existing federal authority to halt new drilling and fracking, and stop new fossil fuel infrastructure like power plants, pipelines and export terminals. There is no technological quick fix for our climate crisis. We must cut fossil fuels off at their source and transition to clean, renewable energy now.”