Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act of 2026

This bill would require the Secretary of Energy to remove carbon dioxide directly from the air or seawater in set yearly amounts, starting at 50,000 metric tons per year in fiscal years 2026–2027 and rising to 10,000,000 metric tons per year from fiscal year 2036 on. These amounts are required only if removal can be done at or below set prices per ton, which fall from $750 to $150 over time. The Secretary could sign contracts of up to 15 years with outside companies, which would need independent third-party verification of the carbon removed. At least 20 percent of removals through 2035 would come from small projects where practicable, and the Secretary would report progress to Congress and the public every 2 years. The bill also calls for a study on a federal program that could remove carbon dioxide at a gigaton scale each year by 2050.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Paul Tonko Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors