Hillsborough commissioners schedule vote on carbon capture project
County leaders decided to table a vote until later this month on a proposal denounced by some local environmentalists. Hillsborough County commissioners have scheduled a vote on a carbon capture pilot program, which has faced backlash from local environmental groups since its proposal in January. The South Korean company, LowCarbon, is proposing to capture carbon dioxide produced at the county’s waste-to-energy plant in Brandon and convert it into calcium carbonate, which the company claims is a profitable byproduct. The pilot program would be operated at no cost to the county and could answer questions about the benefits of a permanent facility. However, the agreement states that any carbon credits earned while operating the pilot could be earned while there. Critics argue that the project could save hundreds of dollars annually on electricity bills.
公開済み : 一ヶ月前 沿って Jack Prator の Environment
Hillsborough commissioners on Wednesday took a step toward greenlighting a carbon capture pilot program that has seen backlash from local environmental groups since it was proposed in January.
For months, county public works staff have negotiated the details of a draft agreement with LowCarbon, the South Korean company that put forward the project.
County staff briefed commissioners on their findings at a board meeting Wednesday. They recommended that commissioners approve the pilot, which would be operated at no cost to the county.
The board moved to accept the report and schedule a future vote on the pilot in a 6-1 vote.
County public utilities administrator George Cassady previously told the Tampa Bay Times he was “cautiously optimistic” about the pilot’s success, which could answer lingering questions about the benefits of a permanent facility.
Carbon capture is an emerging technology that aims to keep carbon dioxide — a common greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming — out of the atmosphere. Popularized recently as a solution to climate change, carbon capture has seen a wave of government incentives and lobbying from fossil fuel companies.
LowCarbon has received support from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who last year helped bring a hydrogen production plant operated by the company to Polk County.
In Hillsborough, LowCarbon is proposing to capture carbon dioxide produced at the county’s waste-to-energy plant in Brandon and convert it into calcium carbonate, which the company says is a profitable byproduct.
Kim Byer, assistant county public works administrator, said there are no known dangers associated with carbon capture or the byproduct LowCarbon will sell. She told board members Wednesday that calcium carbonate is used in concrete manufacturing and other construction industries.
During the pilot phase, LowCarbon would sell the calcium carbonate and give those receipts to the county so it can assess how profitable the product is.
While the county won’t see any revenue from these sales, the agreement states the county is entitled to any carbon credits earned while operating the pilot.
Carbon credits are earned by removing or offsetting carbon dioxide from the environment. They can be purchased or sold between companies, industries and governments to meet compliance with emissions standards.
In LowCarbon’s initial proposal for a permanent facility, the company offered to split profits from the sale of calcium carbonate with the county. Because there are no plans beyond the pilot program, it’s unclear how a revenue split would work if the county decides to build a permanent facility.
The pilot program would work with the the Hillsborough County Resource Recovery Facility, a waste-to-energy plant that burns garbage to create steam that drives a turbine to make electricity.
While the process cuts emissions by diverting garbage from landfills, the plant still releases about 600 tons of carbon dioxide daily.
LowCarbon’s pilot facility would trap one ton of carbon dioxide each day. A permanent facility proposed by the company — and initially rejected by county staff — would cost nearly $25 million and capture 40 tons of carbon dioxide, records show.
While the county would pursue grant funding to cover most of the cost of a permanent facility, at least some of that money could be required to come out out county coffers, staff said Wednesday.
Brooke Ward, the senior Florida organizer with Food & Water Watch, estimated that if the county was on the hook for just 1% of a $25 million project, it would cost taxpayers $200,000.
“The money proposed for this project could be spent on so many other things,” she said. “$200,000 could do a lot. You can help potentially 200 homes to save hundreds of dollars annually on their electricity bills.”
Before commissioners came to a vote Wednesday morning, environmentalists, including Ward, urged the county to kill the project.
Todd Randolph, Tampa resident and a member of the local Sierra Club, called the program a “false solution.”
“The biggest promoter for carbon capture is the oil and gas industry,” he said. “And that doesn’t make sense.”
Commissioner Pat Kemp, who sided with environmentalists and was the lone vote against the plan, said she agreed the project is a distraction from addressing the root causes of climate change.
She appeared wary when staff told her they weren’t aware of any facilities in the United States like the one LowCarbon has proposed.
“I’m just not convinced by the information I have here,” Kemp said.
Chairperson Ken Hagan, who first brought the proposal to commissioners in January, dismissed the claims made by public commenters as misinformation.
“Other than the fact that this board is not pursuing the Food and Water Watch agenda, there wasn’t a single, valid reason stated during public comment to oppose this initiative,” he said before calling the vote. “This is as close to a no-brainer as I’ve ever seen.”
The commission will vote on the pilot program at its next meeting on April 17.
Ward said she expected the county to move forward with the project.
“We will be coming back to push back on the project, but we feel very hopeful that the proof is going to be in the pudding,” she said. “It’s going to show itself to be a scam and not something that’s realistic for our county.”
トピック: Carbon Capture