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U.S. House of Representatives Reintroduces Crucial Legislation to Optimize the 45Q Tax Credit

February 16, 2021 Work Area: Carbon Capture

WASHINGTON, February 16, 2021 – Representatives David McKinley (R-WV) and Marc Veasey (D-TX) introduced the Accelerating Carbon Capture and Extending Secure Storage through 45Q (ACCESS 45Q) Act to optimize the 45Q tax credit that supports carbon capture, removal, and storage deployment as a critical means for achieving a net-zero emissions US economy by mid-century. The bipartisan piece of legislation aims to optimize the 45Q tax credit, including by extending the date for projects to begin construction to claim 45Q and providing a direct pay elective for the full value of the tax credit, which makes it more useful for project developers.

“We are grateful for Congressmen McKinley and Veasey championing carbon capture, removal, and storage, and are pleased to see this important bill being reintroduced early in this new Congress. The passage of 45Q has led to the announcement of more than 30 carbon capture projects in industry, power, and carbon removal. This new 45Q optimization will not only help these planned projects to be built, but would also allow 45Q to spur further deployment – which is particularly important for hard-to-abate sectors like steel and cement,” said Lee Beck, CCUS Policy Innovation Director for Clean Air Task Force, a long-time NGO advocate for the development and deployment of carbon capture and storage technology as an essential weapon in the fight against global climate change. In addition to its advocacy work, for the last two years, CATF has tracked carbon capture plans and projects through an interactive map.

“These legislative provisions would make it easier to claim the benefits of 45Q. It will also help hard to decarbonize domestic industries, create regional economic opportunities and high-quality jobs, all while incentivizing the permanent storage of CO2 emissions,” Beck continued. Research from the Rhodium Group has shown that a five-year extension of 45Q could result in the deployment of as much as 144 million metric tons of capture capacity through 2035 – a 6-fold increase from today – and tens of thousands of jobs in industrial decarbonization alone.

The key components of the bill are:

  • A direct pay option: The legislation aims for a full direct payment of the 45Q tax credit. This is essential to ensure the maximum effect of the credit against the backdrop of the recent economic downturn resulting from COVID-19.  Similar options were extended to other clean energy production tax credits during the past Great Recession with positive results.
  • An extension of the date by which projects have to commence construction: The bill extends the deadline by 10 years. This would not only compensate for the delay in the issuance of guidance on how to claim the tax credit by the U.S. Treasury – which has still not been issued – but can also enable further projects to be developed.
  • A provision allowing the 45Q credit to offset tax obligations arising from the Base Erosion Avoidance Tax (BEAT). The BEAT is a form of alternative minimum tax for corporations to ensure multinationals cannot use deductions based off taxes paid abroad to reduce their US tax liabilities below a certain threshold.  Exceptions were made for some tax incentives, including credits for wind and solar energy production, and this provision aims to also include the 45Q tax credit.

“Improving the deployment policy framework for carbon capture and storage, such as through this 45Q legislation and passing further commercial demonstration and saline geologic storage provisions and grants is crucial to advancing carbon capture and carbon removal on the path to net-zero emissions by mid-century.  We are looking forward to working with Representatives Veasey and McKinley on the reintroduction of the SCALE Act, which aims to scale up dramatically the infrastructure necessary to expand CO2 transport and saline storage hubs,” said Beck.

The bill comes on the heels of the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service releasing final guidance of how to claim the 45Q tax credit, and enactment of significant, bipartisan energy innovation and climate legislation.

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