2018 -- S 2356

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LC004558

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING THE RHODE ISLAND SENATE COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC AND

CLIMATE BENEFITS OF DIRECT AIR CARBON CAPTURE

     Introduced By: Senator Jeanine Calkin

     Date Introduced: February 15, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     WHEREAS, The effects of climate change on the State of Rhode Island are real,

measurable and publicly recognized, including: a rising sea level measured 10.6 inches since

1930 at the Newport Tide Gauge; thirty percent more intense storms driving worsening floods;

measurably longer and hotter summers and heat waves; and increasingly damaging coastal storms

and sea surge; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island faces significant economic risks from flooding and sea rise

because of its size and its coastal assets, exposure and its intricate web of inland rivers and

streams; damage to its publicly and privately owned coastal properties, businesses and

infrastructure from rising sea levels and increased storm surge, business interruption, property

devaluation, lost tax revenue to the municipalities and the state and climate-driven changes on

labor productivity and public health; and harm to its marine industries, real estate industry and

tourism which are three of Rhode Island's biggest economic drivers; and

     WHEREAS, The effects of climate change are projected to grow more severe with each

passing year causing ever greater damage and harm; and

     WHEREAS, World governments are focused on stopping climate change through the

reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as established in the Paris Agreement; and

     WHEREAS, Climate experts are recognizing that cessation alone will not stop climate

change and that CO2 capture is also necessary to halt and reverse its effects; and

     WHEREAS, Direct air CO2 capture refers to technology that can extract industrial-scale

quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere, as opposed to point-source Carbon Capture and Storage

(CCS) which captures CO2 only from flue stacks of fossil fuel power plants and industry; and

     WHEREAS, Direct air CO2 capture can occur at any location on Earth; and

     WHEREAS, The CO2 collected by direct air CO2 capture can be used in ways that

sequester carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere; and

     WHEREAS, Direct air CO2 capture also offers Rhode Island opportunities to grow its

economy through industries that use CO2; including beverage, food and greenhouse industries

and producers of industrial gases; and industries that sequester carbon, including manufacturers

of biofertilizers, carbon building materials and carbon plastics; and

      WHEREAS, To date, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the economic

benefit of direct air CO2 capture in Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island's business community and the public sector are partners in

moving the economy forward and each play an active role in helping to determine how best to

assess the economic opportunities of CO2 capture, and how to formulate a plan that moves Rhode

Island forward in a sustainable, affordable direction; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That the Rhode Island Senate Commission on Economic and Climate

Benefits of Carbon Capture be and the same is hereby created consisting of twelve (12) members:

three (3) of whom shall be members of Rhode Island environmental groups, one representing the

Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI), one representing the Rhode Island Climate

Change Collaborative, one representing the Tri-State Climate Coalition to be appointed by the

Senate President; one of whom shall be the President of the Conservation Law Foundation, or

designee; one of whom shall be from a Rhode Island institution of higher learning with a

specialization in CO2 capture and conversion, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of

whom shall represent ecoRI News, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be

from a reference librarian from a Rhode Island institution of higher learning, to be appointed by

the Senate President; two (2) of whom shall be representatives of Rhode Island companies which

utilize CO2, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be the President of the

Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the

Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, or designee; and one of whom shall be the Rhode Island

Secretary of Commerce, or designee.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study to assess the

economic opportunities of CO2 capture in Rhode Island and report to the General Assembly,

including, but not limited to:

     (1) Identify all commercially-available direct air CO2 capture systems. For each system,

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determine the cost of the system, the cost of captured CO2 and a projected profit over 10 years

based on the cost of the system, the cost of captured CO2 and the projected cost of CO2 on the

CO2 market. Assess which system will generate the largest profits;

     (2) Identify all users of CO2 in Rhode Island, determine which users could use the full

annual capacity of the most-profitable direct air CO2 capture system and project their 10-year

profits or cost-savings from the system. Identify the factors that would allow them to build a

system. For users who cannot make full use of the system's capacity, assess the economic

feasibility of building a centrally-located system and transporting the CO2 across the state. If

economically feasible, project the profits or cost savings for each user of purchasing CO2 from a

central system. If economically feasible, compare the costs, benefits and disadvantages of

building a public, public/private, and private system;

     (3) Make a comprehensive assessment of the commercial uses of CO2 throughout the

world. Determine which uses sequester carbon the most. Study how to attract businesses that

sequester the most carbon to Rhode Island or how to create startups of those businesses in the

state;

     (4) Forecast future uses of CO2 that will sequester carbon, and create a list for subsequent

studies.

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the Senate President and organize and shall select a chairperson.

     Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. All

departments and agencies of the state, shall furnish such advice and information, documentary

and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable by the

commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The Senate President is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters for

said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

Senate no later than December 31, 2018, and said commission shall expire on January 1, 2019.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING THE RHODE ISLAND SENATE COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC AND

CLIMATE BENEFITS OF DIRECT AIR CARBON CAPTURE

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     This resolution would create a twelve (12) member special legislative study commission

whose purpose it would be to study and make recommendations concerning the economic

opportunities of direct air CO2 capture in Rhode Island, and who would report back to the Senate

no later than December 31, 2018, and whose life would expire on January 1, 2019.

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