By Nolan McKendry | The Center Square

President Donald Trump has formally endorsed carbon capture and sequestration, a potentially unfriendly move for Louisiana citizens and lawmakers.

Currently, Louisiana legislators have proposed a slate of bills aimed at slowing or even halting carbon capture in the state.

Trump’s latest energy pitch includes reversing the Biden-era pause on liquefied natural gas export approvals and expanding carbon capture projects to reduce global emissions and create jobs.

“America is producing the cleanest energy in the world,” the White House said in a recent statement, arguing CCS and other innovations will ensure U.S. leadership in both energy production and environmental performance.

But in Louisiana, where oil and gas are deeply entrenched in the state’s economy, carbon capture has become a point of controversy – particularly in rural areas where landowners say they’re being sidelined in favor of industry interests.

Several bills now before the Louisiana Legislature seek to sharply restrict carbon capture development.

House Bill 396 by Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Caddo, would criminalize carbon sequestration entirely.

Another measure, HB380 by Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn, R-Beauregard, would strip carbon projects of eminent domain powers and remove their designation as a public good.

“We’ve already had almost 200,000 acres taken by eminent domain in Vernon Parish alone,” Schamerhorn said in an interview with The Center Square. “People still remember what it did to their families.”

Schamerhorn, who represents a largely rural district, said opposition has intensified as carbon capture projects move forward near homes, schools, and aquifers — often without enough public engagement.

A survey he conducted of more than 1,000 constituents found that 85% opposed carbon capture in his district, and 82% didn’t want it anywhere in the state.

Other lawmakers have focused on limiting industry authority more broadly.

HB601 by Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Beauregard, would require pipeline developers to get consent from 95% of affected landowners before seeking state permits. It would also bar foreign-owned companies from expropriating land, strengthen notice requirements and boost compensation for mineral rights owners.

“People want to know they’re safe,” Geymann told The Center Square. “They want to know the groundwater won’t be contaminated, and that if there’s a leak, it’s not too close to a school.”

The bills reflect growing grassroots opposition to carbon storage projects, especially in parts of Louisiana that have historically hosted heavy industry without seeing corresponding economic benefits.

But industry leaders warn that Louisiana risks losing its competitive edge if the legislature clamps down.

“This is a business opportunity,” said Tommy Faucheux, president of the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association. “If we lose that, the investments — and the jobs — will go elsewhere.”

Elsewhere includes Texas — a state Gov. Jeff Landry often cites as an example of what Louisiana could become, and one that Faucheux says is “catching up” to Louisiana’s carbon capture potential.

In August 2023, the Texas General Land Office took a major step toward developing offshore carbon storage by approving six new leases.

A year later, Texas announced plans to offer 1.13 million acres of state waters and bays along the Gulf of Mexico for bidding, aiming to attract interest from parties pursuing carbon capture and sequestration projects, according to the Carbon Herald.

Faucheux argues carbon capture is not a threat to the oil and gas sector but a natural extension of it.

Louisiana’s pipeline infrastructure, emissions base, and industrial know-how give the state an edge in capturing carbon at the source and marketing low-carbon products — from steel to chemicals — to global buyers demanding cleaner supply chains.

Companies like Exxon and Chevron, Faucheux said, are already capturing emissions and storing them underground, allowing U.S. manufacturers to advertise “low-carbon” steel, fertilizer and other goods. One such project in Ascension Parish, between CF Industries and Mitsui, aims to produce low-carbon ammonia for export.

“These CCS projects and the associated development could transform communities in ways they’ve never seen,” Faucheux said. “We’re talking about economic development in parts of Louisiana that haven’t traditionally benefited from the oil and gas footprint.”

He acknowledged concerns around eminent domain and transparency but said companies are making an effort to engage with residents and avoid forced land acquisitions.

“The industry has been spending a lot of time engaging with communities, with land owners,” Faucheux said. “The companies want to work and come to agreements with all the landowners. They want to have conversations about pipeline routes, for instance.”