California funds dry cleaners’ shift to CO2

By Wayne Lusvardi | Cal Watchdog

The California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research Program has produced a dry cleaning machine that uses CO2. The carbon-based cleaning process replaces perchoroethylene chemical-based dry cleaning.

The machine is being tested by the Aramark uniform cleaning corporation in Los Angeles. Colorado-based firm C02Nexus received a $396,200 CEC grant on Dec. 3, 2009 to develop an alternative dry cleaning machine using C02.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas whose reduction is the target of Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 — although the phrase “climate change” usually is used today. But according to CO2Nexus, “The CO2 used in the CO2Nexus systems is recycled from existing industrial processes and as such is completely carbon neutral.”

So the problem with the subsidies is not the CO2, but the use of public funds.

CO2Nexus is a business spinoff from FeyeCon Development and Implementation B.V., which is based in the Netherlands.

at Cal Watchdog.