releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=9288293B-3D57-4426-97F7-35DC73D5B841
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=9288293B-3D57-4426-97F7-35DC73D5B841 | Heitkamp Introduces New Bill to Keep North Dakota Coal Competitive | 2018-10-11 | 2018 | 2018-10 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today introduced legislation to improve and clarify the utilization of a tax credit to advance technology that would make coal power generation cleaner and more efficient, helping to build a bright future for North Dakota's lignite coal reserves through investment in carbon capture projects in the state. The legislation, the Advancing Carbon Capture in Energy Generation Act, improves the Credit for Investment in Clean Coal Facilities tax credit, which was established in 2005. In its current form, the tax credit does not incentivize implementation of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology at new and existing coal plants in the near term, but Heitkamp's bill would remove certain requirements and clarify others in order to speed up the adoption of CCS technology that is critical to the future of coal. The legislation also removes unreasonable and unworkable emissions limits that prevent older coal plants from investing in cleaner technologies. Coal remains North Dakota's primary source of electricity and a vital part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy, Heitkamp said. To secure a bright future for coal and the jobs and communities it supports in North Dakota, we must find ways to help the industry innovate to compete in a carbon-constrained world. That's why I built a bipartisan coalition to pass the FUTURE Act, my bill to incentivize carbon capture technology that will have wide-ranging benefits for coal and other carbon reliant industries, and helped bring the same bipartisan group together to introduce the USE IT Act. This new legislation will build on that progress by further incentivizing carbon capture technology at new and existing coal power plants. Innovation is key to the future of North Dakota's leadership in energy, and this bill will give a needed boost to advancements in carbon capture. Cosponsors of Heitkamp's new legislation include U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Joe Manchin (D-WV). Heitkamp has been fighting to secure a future for North Dakota coal as part of an all-of-the-above energy strategy. North Dakota relies on coal for two-thirds of its electricity generation. Heitkamp worked for years to write and pass the bipartisan FUTURE Act, which extends and expands the 45Q tax credit to provide certainty to utilities and other industrial sources, and incentivizes the build-out of industrial carbon capture projects that plan to use carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery and carbon utilization the conversion of carbon dioxide into useable products. Heitkamp has consistently put forward ideas in addition to the FUTURE Act to promote a realistic path forward for coal in North Dakota and across the country. Click herefor a timeline of Heitkamp's extensive work to forge a viable path forward for coal. In March,Heitkamp built on the success of the FUTURE Act and introduced the bipartisan USE IT Act, which would strengthen support for carbon utilization and direct air capture research. The bill would also incentivize federal, state, and non-governmental collaboration in the construction and development of CCUS facilities and CO2 pipelines. The legislation has a diverse coalition of supporters, including Lignite Energy Council, North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Clean Air Task Force, and Bipartisan Policy Center Action. Click here for a full list of supporters. Background Heitkamp's work in Congress builds on more than a decade of experience as a director of Dakota Gasification, as well as on the North Dakota Industrial Commission as North Dakota Attorney General, and as Tax Commissioner. Since joining the Senate, Heitkamp has also worked to find a realistic path for clean coal by: Bringing together Democrats to urge strong CCUS funding, as president's budget proposed cuts: Last June,Heitkamp led a diverse group of 15 Democratic senatorsincluding liberal and conservative lawmakersin urging congressional appropriators to fund strong U.S. Department of Energy investments in CCUS technologies, which are key to coal's future. Thepresident's budget threatened to cut fundingfor the U.S. Energy Department Office of Fossil Energy by 55 percent, including funding cuts of at least 84 percent to CCUS programs. Such cuts would significantly hinder the advancement of CCUS technologies, which North Dakota's rural electric co-ops, coal workers, and ratepayers rely on to support a path forward for coal-fired power through clean coal research and development. Introducing major legislation in 2013 and 2015 to put coal on a viable path forward:Heitkamp'sbillwould incentivize companies to invest in technologies that reduce the carbon footprint of coal-fired power. This is done through federal funding programs, federal support for private investment, and recommendations to Congress that provide insight on how best to support future CCUS projects in the U.S. In May 2015, Heitkamp and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia introduced aseries of billsto make sure coal remains part of America's energy mix, incorporating Heitkamp's bill. Successfully urging the EPA to grant North Dakota regulatory authority over Class VI wells that are used for long-term underground storage of CO2. Allowing the state to regulate such wells will help North Dakota develop innovative CCUS technologies, drive down costs, and reduce carbon emissions. Heitkamp repeatedly urged the EPA to approve the North Dakota Industrial Commission's application, weighing in with former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and in a letter and meeting with Administrator Pruitt. Convening industry, lawmakers, and academics to discuss path forward on coal:Heitkamp co-hosted aCoal Technology Symposiumon Capitol Hill in 2014 that brought together industry, lawmakers, experts and academics including the Energy and Environmental Research Center from Grand Forks. To a crowded room, Heitkamp laid out the importance of advancing realistic energy policies and discussed the vital role coal plays in providing affordable energy in North Dakota and around the country. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |