Direct Air Capture Funding Wastes Money on False Climate Solution

Today, the Department of Energy announced that it is awarding over $1 billion in grants to two direct air capture projects – one of which is overseen by oil giant Occidental.

In response, Food & Water Watch Policy Director Jim Walsh released the following statement:

“Direct air capture is expensive, unproven and will ultimately make almost no difference in reducing climate pollution. The technology requires substantial energy to operate; capturing just a quarter of our annual carbon emissions would require all of the power currently generated in the country.

“Even if the technology was effective, there are still serious questions about whether there is a safe and effective way to store the captured carbon dioxide. A more practical and effective approach would be to invest money in wind and solar energy – which would be far more effective in actually reducing climate pollution.”

“Above all, fossil fuel interests see a clear benefit in promoting direct air capture as a means to preserve the dominance of dirty fossil fuels. The federal government is handing them hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies, when it should be pursuing policies to end the era of fossil fuels.”