America sketches its carbon pipelines

New DOE funding targets early CO₂ pipeline design, reducing risk and setting the stage for future carbon transport networks

12 Jan 2026

A quiet shift is taking place in the US carbon management world. Federal support is nudging CO2 pipeline projects out of the realm of distant promise and into early, practical work. Construction is still far off, but the groundwork is now getting serious attention.

In late 2024 and early 2025, the Department of Energy committed $6 million to early design and front end engineering for regional CO2 pipeline systems. The money is not for digging trenches or laying steel. It supports route planning, cost modeling, safety reviews, and community outreach.

That early phase often decides a project’s fate. If routes, costs, and risks are unclear, private capital tends to stay away. By paying for studies upfront, the DOE is trying to remove some of the unknowns that have stalled carbon transport for years.

The logic is simple. Carbon capture cannot scale without dependable ways to move CO2 from factories and power plants to storage sites. Uncertain permitting timelines and public resistance have made pipelines especially hard to finance. Early design work aims to make future decisions less of a leap.

This effort also fits into a much larger plan. The DOE has outlined a potential funding pool of up to $500 million for CO2 transport infrastructure once projects move beyond planning. Teams that do the homework now may be better positioned to tap that capital later.

Timing matters. Demand for carbon capture is growing as companies face stricter climate targets. Shared pipeline networks, designed to expand over time, could lower costs and avoid a patchwork of disconnected systems.

Safety and public trust are front and center. CO2 pipelines face close scrutiny, and early engagement can surface concerns before they turn into roadblocks.

Big challenges remain. Regional networks will cost billions and require coordination across states. Still, these early studies mark a step toward clarity. If successful, they could shape how the next generation of US carbon transport takes form.