WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy announced Friday morning that it would be investing up to $1.2 billion in new carbon air capture facilities in Louisiana and Texas. 

These projects would create nearly 5,000 jobs in the two states—2,300 of which are in Louisiana—and address legacy carbon emissions that have lingered in the atmosphere and affected the climate as well as fueled extreme weather. 

Out of the allocated funds, Louisiana is set to receive $603 million to fund the new facility, Project Cypress.

Together, the two facilities, which would be located in Calcasieu Parish and Kleberg County, Texas, would eventually remove over 250 times more carbon dioxide in a year than the largest Direct Air Capture facility currently operating, according to the Department of Energy. 

Project Cypress would capture carbon directly from the atmosphere and store it permanently underground. Read more about Project Cypress below:

Battelle, in coordination with Climeworks Corporation and Heirloom Carbon Technologies, Inc., aims to capture more than 1 million metric tons of existing CO2 from the atmosphere each year and store it permanently deep underground. This hub intends to rely on Gulf Coast Sequestration for offtake and geologic storage of captured atmospheric CO2. The project is estimated to create approximately 2,300 jobs, with a goal to hire workers formerly employed by the fossil fuel industry for 10% of the overall workforce. Project Cypress will implement a robust two-way communication program with local communities and stakeholders to solicit input into the project while also generating new employment opportunities and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles.

“Louisiana’s climate action plan has positioned us as a leader in the global energy transition, and this major announcement will create thousands of good-paying jobs while lowering the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Our talented energy workforce and embrace of lower carbon technologies make us the perfect fit for innovative projects like this Direct Air Capture Hub. I would like to thank U.S. Energy of Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Batelle, Climeworks, and Heirloom for selecting Louisiana for this opportunity. And I would like to thank President Biden, Senator Bill Cassidy, and Representative Troy Carter for their support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that has made this possible.”

Read more about the investment and its goals on the Department of Energy's website here.