Technology to Convert Greenhouse Gases Into Products Gains Support on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, DC (November 19, 2014) The Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the algae industry, applauded Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) for including provisions to encourage carbon utilization technology in climate change legislation they proposed today. The bill calls for greenhouse gas regulations that would promote the use of carbon dioxide as a feedstock for plastics, biofuels, chemicals and other products.
“We need creative solutions to the climate problem, and by including carbon utilization in this bill Senators Whitehouse and Schatz are leading a growing number of legislators that see the value in making products from carbon-containing waste gases,” said Matt Carr, Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “This is a great first step in providing carbon utilization technology the policy support it deserves.”
A number of new technologies are being brought to market that consume carbon dioxide as a feedstock, making this approach a unique opportunity to reduce overall emissions. In contrast to current CO2 disposal options, known as carbon capture and sequestration which aim to bury emissions, carbon utilization technologies convert those emissions into valuable products that can have economic and environmental benefits.
Algae technology developers are developing a wide range of platforms to convert concentrated sources of CO2 to renewable fuels, chemicals, fertilizer, plastics and feed ingredients, as well as high-value products such as nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. By converting waste gases into products, emitters can not only comply with EPA regulations — they can offset their cost or even profit from them.
The Algae Biomass Organization has called on the Environmental Protection Agency to explicitly recognize that carbon utilization technologies are acceptable methods for states to achieve emissions reductions under the agency’s Clean Power Plan. Failing to do so will be a missed opportunity to encourage investments in an approach that could deliver positive environmental results along with economic growth, jobs and improved energy security.
About the Algae Biomass Organization
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies, and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits, and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: www.algaebiomass.org