The Little Algae That Could

This summer, the Algae Biomass Organization achieved its most important legislative priority: the approval by the U.S. EPA carbon capture and utilization (CCU) for power plants seeking to meet emissions reduction goals.

 The Clean Power Plan notes that “state plans may allow affected EGU (electric generating units) to use qualifying CCU technologies to reduce CO2 emissions that are subject to an emission standard, or those that are counted when demonstrating achievement of the CO2 emission performance rates or a state rate-based or mass-based CO2 emission.”

While there is still work to be done, especially regarding how EPA will qualify utilization technologies, this is a huge win for the algae industry. Just one year prior, the idea of including carbon utilization in climate planning was not even considered by the EPA, Congress or the Obama administration. Our members never gave up, and their persistence—and a winning argument—carried the day.

The rule gives new certainty to a number of U.S. companies working to commercialize algae-based technologies that can convert carbon dioxide generated at power plants into fuels, feeds, fertilizers and other valuable products.

The change in course by the EPA, from not mentioning utilization in its early drafts to fully supporting the technology, is also a testament to what a relatively small but committed group of companies and researchers can accomplish on the policy front. To get the EPA to acknowledge algae and carbon utilization, the members of ABO came together in a coordinated effort. Among the tools we deployed:
• Countless meetings with the offices of elected officials that could inform the EPA about carbon utilization potentials in their districts.

• Letters directly from ABO members to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy about the importance of supporting utilization technologies.
• A White House petition asking the administration to advocate for utilization in the Clean Power Plan.
• Meetings with EPA staff and official comments that were directly informed by the experiences and plans of ABO members commercializing algae cultivation technologies that can consume huge volumes of CO2.
• Invaluable support from members of Congress, who communicated with EPA and introduced legislative proposals to support CCU technologies.
• A public information campaign that included outreach to media, a website on carbon utilization, and tours of algae facilities across the U.S.
It worked. The EPA’s rule is clear evidence that our message that carbon utilization is a common-sense, market-driven approach, with bipartisan support throughout Congress, is being heard.
The support is spreading across agencies, evidenced by the U.S. DOE recently awarding funds to carbon capture research to two efforts that will use algae.
At ABO, we are excited by the momentum, and are reminded by words of anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
At ABO, we are building new truth into these words, and we have no plans to let up. Our attention will be on the EPA’s intent to establish a mechanism for deciding how a particular carbon utilization technology can be used to meet a state’s carbon reduction goals. What variables will EPA use to determine if a particular utilization approach will qualify? How can a company ensure the EPA has accurate information about its technologies? It is very possible that some technologies will not be certified by EPA without a concerted effort to educate the agency.
Given what we have been able to accomplish in the past year, we are looking forward to that phase of the campaign. We invite any utilization technology developer to work with us. The more voices we can raise about the potential of using waste gases in beneficial ways the more likely they will given the green light by the EPA.



Author: Matt Carr
Executive Director, Algae Biomass Organization
www.algaebiomass.org
[email protected]