Republican U.S. Senate candidates in Louisiana are being pressed on their positions regarding carbon capture and storage (CCS). Key issues include the use of eminent domain to store CO2 on private land and the future of federal 45Q tax credits that fund these projects. With over 65 CCS projects proposed across 18 Louisiana parishes, the debate highlights a growing political divide over land rights and federal subsidies for carbon sequestration in the region.
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The 45Q credit is the main engine for CCS right now. If candidates are talking about repealing it, they are essentially talking about killing the current business model for these projects. It is interesting to see a primary fight over a federal subsidy that usually has bipartisan support.
Policy is one thing, but the eminent domain part is where this actually hits the ground. You cannot build out a sequestration network if every single landowner blocks the pipeline. The execution risk here is massive regardless of the tax credits.
This is a classic example of how carbon markets and climate policy clash with local property rights. People care about the planet, but they care about their own backyard more. The tension over HB 7 shows that the legal framework for CCS in Louisiana is still a mess.
