Carbon capture proposals draw mixed responses from environmental groups in Michigan House committee

The Michigan House Energy Committee heard testimony on three bills that would shift carbon capture and storage permitting from the federal EPA to the state's own environment department, a change sponsors say would speed up approvals. Reps. Parker Fairbairn and Cam Cavitt argued Michigan's geology, deep saline reservoirs and old oil fields, makes it well suited to the job, and noted the state's 2040 clean energy law already counts natural gas plants with 90% carbon capture as clean.

DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, the state's two largest utilities, back the bills, as does the Utility Workers Union of America, which sees the technology as a way to preserve jobs in hard-to-electrify industries. The Clean Air Task Force also offered support, citing potential air quality benefits at industrial sites.

The Michigan League of Conservation Voters was less convinced, arguing the proposed 20-cent-per-ton storage fee is too low, drawing a comparison to the state's cheap landfill tipping fees that have made it a dumping ground for out-of-state trash. The group also noted the bills don't address where the captured carbon actually comes from, leaving open whether the process would reduce atmospheric carbon at all or just move it underground with extra paperwork.

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