Carbon capture is making climate change worse at taxpayer expense.

Money Burning

A new report from Empower lays out how billions in carbon capture tax credits – the result of intense industry lobbying–shifts the high costs of enhanced oil recovery onto taxpayers. It’s a waste of money that drives climate change while putting our environment, health and safety at risk.

Read more about the report’s troubling findings here

Key Takeaways:

  • A close look at carbon capture projects in Texas shows most are using the captured carbon for enhanced oil recovery to produce even more oil and gas, adding to climate change pollution, not reducing it.
  • Empower found the companies involved in these projects stand to receive at least $3 billion annually in federal tax credits, and that the total could jump to as much as $33 billion annually under the right conditions.
  • Corporations are promoting carbon capture through joint ventures with US government-sponsored consortia, private think tanks, and lobbyists.
  • Lobbying expenses by industry to institute and grow these tax credits totalled approximately $2.25 billion between 2002 and April 2023.
  • Carbon capture prolongs the lifespan of fossil fuel companies while risking the health and safety of the communities where it operates.

How much should we sacrifice for the false promise of carbon capture?

We can do better, Minnesota.

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Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

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Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.

Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!