Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill requires the Department of Energy to directly remove carbon dioxide from the air or ocean, starting at 50,000 metric tons per year and scaling up to 10 million tons per year by 2036.
• To control taxpayer costs, the price DOE can pay per ton of CO2 removed must fall over time, from up to $750 per ton in 2026-2027 down to $150 per ton by 2037, pushing companies to find cheaper removal methods.
• Project selection favors domestic job creation and partnerships with labor unions, small businesses, and minority- or women-owned businesses, aiming to build a homegrown carbon removal industry.
• Companies that store carbon dioxide underground must remove additional carbon if any of it leaks back out, making them responsible for the durability of their storage.
• The bill bans using this technology to pump more oil out of the ground and requires independent third-party verification that removed carbon is actually gone and safely stored.