The Department of Energy has gone silent on two task forces created under the first Trump administration to speed construction of carbon capture and storage projects, sidelining groups set to provide advice around a sector the oil industry has backed with big money.
Multiple members of the task forces — created under the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act in 2020 — said they haven’t heard from DOE in months, expressing frustration over how much work has been done to date only for things to stall. The ghosting goes against what has been strong government support for an industry that had also enjoyed rare bipartisan backing to help cull greenhouse gas emissions from a host of sectors.
Since an inaugural meeting in 2024, the task forces spent more than a year working pro bono to put together a report that includes a wide range of recommendations, including around how to make permitting more efficient and comprehensive, the offshore storage of carbon dioxide, CO2 pipelines and more.
The task forces were tentatively set to meet in November and December to discuss and then finalize a draft report, but those meetings didn’t take place. Some members said the last time they heard from DOE was in September, while one person said November.
