Carbon Removal Sector Eyes Funding After Midterms
With Democrats now controlling Congress, carbon removal advocates seek to reverse two years of cuts, though no specific bill has been announced.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Environmental
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The Carbon Removal Alliance, a nonprofit and nonpartisan coalition of 25 members formed in 2023, issued a statement following the 2026 midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of the Senate and House. The statement describes the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) sector as having faced funding cuts over the past two years and says the group looks forward to working with new and returning lawmakers. This is a policy position statement; no new technology or deployment is announced.
Why it matters
The shift in congressional control arrives after two years in which the CDR sector absorbed funding cuts, and the alliance is positioning its members to influence the next policy cycle. Its framing that U.S. innovators are already installing carbon removal infrastructure places the sector's near-term trajectory in the hands of federal lawmakers.
The alliance reports 25 members, a figure the source offers without a comparator. The statement does not include deployment capacity, tonnage removed, or cost per ton for any CDR technology.
The players
Carbon Removal Alliance
A nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of 25 members formed in 2023 to advocate for carbon dioxide removal technologies and policy.
The details
Carbon dioxide removal refers to methods that pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it, as distinct from reducing emissions at the source. The statement says U.S. companies are installing this infrastructure at facilities across the country, which the source describes as creating skilled jobs and revitalizing local economies. Dozens of bipartisan congressional lawmakers and their staff have visited these facilities over the past two years, according to the alliance.
Timeline
The Carbon Removal Alliance was created in 2023.
Over the past two years, the CDR sector faced funding cuts and lawmakers visited CDR facilities.
The alliance issued its statement following the midterm elections on November 5, 2026.
The Tech Race
The UN's recent reaffirmation of CDR alongside emissions reductions places carbon removal inside the global climate-target framework, not as a substitute for cutting emissions. The U.S. CDR sector is now competing for federal support against that international backdrop.
For now, the statement changes no product, price, or availability for consumers. Any effect would come only if new congressional majorities pass CDR policy, and no timeline for such action was given.
The takeaway
Watch whether the new Congress holds hearings or introduces bills that restore or expand federal carbon removal funding in the coming session. The alliance's 25-member membership will be a measure of how broadly the sector is organizing around that agenda.
Further reading
For more on how carbon removal fits into broader climate work, see Environmental coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Carbon Herald.
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