Rep. Cole offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 193.

            A resolution to urge the Governor, the Michigan Public Service Commission, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to explore policies relating to carbon dioxide capture from industrial sources and the use and sequestration of captured carbon dioxide in enhanced oil recovery.

Whereas, Enhanced oil recovery maximizes the productivity of an oil field, often resulting in the extraction of 30 to 60 percent of the reservoir’s original oil. Enhanced oil recovery has helped recover an estimated one billion barrels of oil in the United States. Currently, there are active and potential enhanced oil recovery operations in Michigan and a number of other states; and

Whereas, Carbon dioxide has been used commercially in enhanced oil recovery for over 40 years, benefitting domestic oil production. Carbon dioxide injection displaces oil and increases its recovery. As of 2010, there were about 114 active commercial carbon dioxide injection projects that injected over two billion cubic feet of carbon dioxide and produced over 280,000 barrels of oil per day; and

Whereas, Until recently, most of the carbon dioxide used for enhanced oil recovery had come from naturally-occurring reservoirs, but new technologies are being developed to capture carbon dioxide from industrial sources such as power, natural gas processing, fertilizer, ethanol, and hydrogen plants. These and other industries already produce carbon dioxide as a byproduct of their business; and

Whereas, Michigan should be doing everything it can to study carbon dioxide capture and sequestration technologies and to enhance our regulatory structure to create an environment that fosters job growth and the utilization of all available energy sources, including but not limited to natural gas, petroleum, and crude oil. Implementing regulatory processes that aid in the harnessing of carbon dioxide for a secondary, beneficial use will serve to create jobs in Michigan, reduce dependency on foreign resources, improve long-term energy efficiency, and improve our ability to utilize Michigan’s natural resources through enhanced oil recovery; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Governor, the Michigan Public Service Commission, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to explore policies relating to carbon dioxide capture from industrial sources and the use and sequestration of captured carbon dioxide in enhanced oil recovery; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the members of the Michigan Public Service Commission, and the directors of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.