The CREATE Act of 2023 creates a new government task force focused on developing technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it safely. Right now, the federal government doesn't have a coordinated plan for this type of work, so this bill brings together different agencies—like those focused on energy, environment, and science—to work together on the same goal.

Here's what actually happens: The bill sets up a group within the National Science and Technology Council that will create a strategic plan for researching and testing carbon removal technology. Think of it like the government saying, "We need to figure out how to pull CO2 out of the air and keep it from going back into the atmosphere, and we need a coordinated approach to do it." The group will also create smaller working teams across different federal agencies to actually conduct the research and run pilot projects to see what works.

This affects taxpayers because federal research funding will go toward these carbon removal efforts, and it affects scientists and engineers who work in climate and environmental fields since they'll have new opportunities to work on these projects. The bill doesn't directly regulate businesses or individuals, but it's laying the groundwork for technology that could eventually help address climate change by removing carbon that's already in the air—something many experts say we'll need to do alongside reducing new emissions.

CREATE Act of 2023

Sinema, Kyrsten

Carbon Removal, Efficient Agencies, Technology Expertise Act of 2023 or the CREATE Act of 2023 This bill establishes the Interagency Group on Large-Scale Carbon Management within the National Science and Technology Council to plan and oversee efforts to (1) remove carbon dioxide from the air, ocean, and land; and (2) store such carbon. The interagency group must develop a strategic plan for federal research, development, and demonstration of technological carbon dioxide removal and storage. In addition, the interagency group must establish working groups to carry out a Carbon Removal Initiative that pursues such research, development, and demonstration across several federal agencies.