If Lee Zeldin becomes EPA administrator, the former New York congressman may find over 150 applications for underground carbon dioxide injections waiting for him.
Zeldin would have sprawling responsibilities at EPA, but backers of carbon storage are optimistic that the agency under his leadership could shrink its review period for CO2 well permits.
President-elect Donald Trump tapped Zeldin as one of his first major picks for the incoming Republican administration, and the incoming EPA job is widely seen as focused on rolling back regulations. With Class VI permits needed to store CO2 permanently in rock formations, EPA has faced pressure to shorten wait times.
“We know Lee Zeldin as a very pragmatic lawmaker in Congress and think he will make a great [EPA] Administrator who will no doubt build a team with a lot of deep regulatory expertise,” said Jeremy Harrell, CEO of conservative clean energy advocacy group ClearPath, in a statement.
