The Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Oct. 26 that $14.5 million will be used to support direct air capture technology (DAC) and storage coupled for low carbon energy sources.
The money allocated by the DOE will be used for the specific purpose of leveraging low-carbon energy for the purpose of increasing the scope of direct capture of CO2 through additional, reliable carbon storage, according to a press release from the Department of Energy.
“We need swift action to protect our planet from climate change. That's why we're investing $14.5M to advance direct air capture combined with long-term carbon storage tech to bring our clean energy future into focus," said the U.S. Department of Energy in a tweet on Oct. 26.
Through new technology and additional funding, direct air capture can be achieved through a technique that effectively sequesters carbon from the atmosphere in order to store it or use it for manufacturing, according to the press release. While the methods currently exist to extract carbon from the atmosphere, direct air capture technology still requires further innovation and development in order to be economically viable and usable for the global CO2 market.
The DOE's announcement regarding the funding is another step toward the Biden administration’s goal of achieving zero net carbon emissions by 2050, according to the press release.
