The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) welcomes the new carbon dioxide (CO₂) pipeline safety measures announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on May 26, 2022. DOE will incorporate PHMSA’s guidance into its research, development, demonstration, and deployment portfolio as we work to ensure the continued safe operations of commercial CO₂ pipelines in the United States.

The advancement of essential CO₂ transport infrastructure and carbon management technologies will be required, collectively, to help the nation achieve deep decarbonization and reduce CO₂ emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. To move toward these goals, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides DOE with nearly $100 million to advance front-end engineering and design of CO₂ transport infrastructure. This will support broader efforts to develop technologies for carbon capture and removal across a diverse range of industries and regions.

Additionally, DOE’s Loan Programs Office and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management will coordinate the Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program Account, which is allocated $2.1 billion to finance infrastructure to transport CO₂ captured from industrial facilities, power plants, and future direct air capture facilities to appropriate locations for permanent geologic storage.

These DOE-wide deployment efforts, alongside PHMSA’s new pipeline safety measures, further underscore the importance of the Administration’s priority to addressing the climate crisis and achieving net-zero emissions.

Please Note: PHMSA establishes pipeline safety regulations at the Federal level. DOE does not have regulatory oversight of CO₂ pipeline safety.