The threat of earthquakes has lawmakers taking a close look at energy development throughout the U.S., but fracking isn't being discussed.

Fracking was expected to be the hot topic at a Senate committee hearing and has been a source of controversy in Oklahoma where it’s blamed for everything from earthquakes to ground water contamination.

But instead the focus was on carbon capture and storage, or C.C.S.

It's a proposed method to cut carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu was intrigued.

"Before we completely rule this out we need to have a lot more data about that," Landrieu said.

There isn't more data because there aren't any large scale projects in operation.

Carbon capture and storage is a "clean coal" technique that buries carbon dioxide deep in the ground, but there’s concern it could trigger man-made earthquakes.