NRECA says the recent sidelining of two major carbon dioxide pipelines is further reason for the Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw its pending rule to reduce power sector CO2 emissions by the mid-2030s.

On Oct. 20, Navigator CO2 Ventures announced it was canceling its 1,302-mile CO2 transport pipeline through several Midwest states. And media outlets reported Oct. 19 that Summit Carbon Solutions would postpone construction on its 2,067-mile pipeline, also through the Midwest, until 2026.

Both projects faced public opposition and permitting challenges.

“EPA cited CO2 pipelines as its primary justification that carbon capture and sequestration infrastructure will be available by its proposed compliance dates,” said Dan Bosch, NRECA’s regulatory affairs director.

“These setbacks undermine EPA’s already spurious projections for the readiness of CCS as an adequately demonstrated and achievable technology, which is required for its proposed rule.”

NRECA, in supplemental comments filed Nov. 13, pressed EPA to withdraw its proposal targeting coal and natural gas plants before it is finalized as early as April 2024. The comments noted that the current hurdles for CO2 pipelines will resurface for hydrogen pipelines, which would also be required for power plants to meet the agency’s proposed rule.

“EPA needs to reconsider its proposal on the basis that the infrastructure needed to support the proposed best system of emission reduction findings for CCS and clean hydrogen co-firing are not adequately demonstrated and achievable,” NRECA said, noting that this recent strike against the rule is in addition to the many raised in its initial Aug. 8 comments.

These problems “will send signals to the market that pipeline development for these technologies is extremely risky” and will “chill interest” in future projects, making EPA’s projection of adequate infrastructure for its rule “overly optimistic,” NRECA said.