WASHINGTON -The U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded $37.6 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance development of a large-scale commercial geologic carbon dioxide storage hub at Rainbow Energy’s Coal Creek Station, according to the state’s U.S. senators.

It was announced in May that the grant would be awarded.

The award will fund a contract with the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center as the project proceeds through site characterization and permitting of a geologic storage complex in central North Dakota. The storage hub will store up to 200 million metric tons of CO2 and fulfill the goals of the DOE’s CarbonSAFE (Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise) Initiative program.

“North Dakota is a global energy innovator, leading the way in responsible energy development and production,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND. “The Infrastructure Law specifically set aside funding for projects focused on providing reliable, clean electricity. I am glad to see Rainbow Energy receive this award, and I look forward to them adding to North Dakota’s impressive list of accomplishments.”

“Our nation depends on the affordable and reliable baseload power that coal provides, and finalizing this contract between DOE and the EERC is an important step both in securing the future of Coal Creek Station and advancing North Dakota’s leadership in CCUS for our coal industry,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND. “That’s why we’ve worked to provide tools like the CarbonSAFE program, the 45Q tax credit and loan guarantees to help these efforts move forward and reach commercial-viability.”