A new study from Boston University and Harvard suggests that investing in wind and solar provides significantly higher climate and public health benefits per dollar than direct air capture (DAC) under current conditions. Because DAC requires massive amounts of electricity, powering it with today's grid can actually increase local air pollution near power plants. While DAC remains a potential tool for removing historical carbon debt, the research indicates it only becomes competitive in regions with extremely clean electricity, such as California. For most of the U.S., displacing fossil fuel generation with renewables is a more effective immediate strategy than scaling carbon removal technology.
