Has anyone put together a brief comparison of key aspects of the 118th Congress's Energy Innovation Act ( Sponsor - Rep. Carbajal) vs. the Market Choice Act ( Sponsor - Rep Fitzpatrick)? Even a basic tabular comparison would be most helpful, including the level of CCL support for each, knowing that the EIA has been CCL's preferred approach. Â I understand there are carbon pricing features in both, but significant differences as well. Â As I am a constituent of Brian Fitzpatrick's and a CCL Bucks-Montgomery chapter member, and may have some involvement in future lobby meetings with him or his staff, I would like to make sure that the most relevant, current information on these bills is available. ( Note: I have reviewed the 9/23 CCL presentation on the Energy Innovation Act). Thank you in advance for your assistance.Â
 Leslie McGeorge
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@Leslie McGeorge, I am about halfway through a deep dive into the current MARKET CHOICE Act. I will push to get this done and answer your question ASAP.
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@Richard Knight
Richard, have you completed your comparison of the two bills (HR 5744 & HR 6665)? Â I'm interested in discussing the two bills at our Saturday chapter meeting.
Still working on it, and I hope to have a chart for you tomorrow.
Rick
Here is an Excel file that compares the two bills. You can print it out on a single page, but there are some helpful comments attached to many of the cells. I'm not sure if there is a way to print out the comments.
Let me know if you have any trouble accessing the file.
Thanks very much for the spreadsheet, Rick! Â One thing I found troubling about the bill is this:
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‘‘(A) REFUND FOR REDUCTION OR ELIMI2
NATION OF EMISSIONS.—Any manufacturer of a  product that incorporates a fossil fuel that has  been taxed under this section who can demonstrate to the Secretary that the fossil fuel has been transformed via the manufacture of the product so that the fossil fuel’s emissions will be reduced or eliminated over the product’s lifetime shall be entitled to a refund of the tax paid under this section on the proportion of the emissions reduced thereby, as determined by the Secretary.
13 ‘‘(B) RULE.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, shall establish by rule the criteria and process by which product manufacturers can demonstrate that the conditions in subparagraph (A) have been satisfied.
I'm concerned that "transformation" of a fossil fuel could be interpreted to allow CCS to result in an exemption.
@Jeff Green, this provision is there so that if a fossil fuel is converted to something that doesn't result in CO2 emissions, the carbon tax will be refunded. I think it's aimed at things like products made from a fossil fuel, such as carbon fiber or a polymer where the carbon remains sequestered. There is a separate exemption for CCS in the following paragraph §9901(e)(2). This is justified by the assumption that as long as the carbon doesn't get emitted to the atmosphere, it shouldn't be taxed. This kind of provision is included in virtually every carbon tax bill, including the Energy Innovation Act, although it might be stated differently.
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‘‘(A) REFUND FOR SEQUESTERS.—Any person who sequesters greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the combustion of fossil fuel that has passed through a point of taxation shall be entitled to a refund of the tax imposed by this section. Emissions that are used for enhanced oil recovery shall be entitled for such refund provided that these emissions meet all of the criteria applicable to other emissions that qualify for such refund.
We should absolutely not be supporting a bill that exempts emissions from enhanced oil recovery under any circumstances!On top of that, oil companies are going to practice EOR regardless; they will just use CO2 that's extracted from natural sources, so I think it's a wash either way. Better to use CO2 that's been captured from fossil fuel burning than to pump it out of the ground and put it right back.Â
@Richard Knight
Thank you for looking into this, Richard! I take it this means that this probably isn't a bill that can be uncomplicatedly endorsed by CCL, in this case?
Rick
@Richard Knight
Chart is great! Thx. Â I can't say I follow all of the details, but understand the basic differences of the 3 bills. Â Possible to add a few sentences or bullets that can share with others on just the key differences between the 3 Carbon pricing bills? Â Do you think there could be a possible basis for compromise among these 3? Â Thank you very much.Â
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