The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER), Vanderbilt University, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Louisville Gas and Electricity and Kentucky Utilities (LG&E and KU) are developing an intensified, cost-effective, and easily scalable process using aqueous potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a solvent for direct air capture (DAC). The process features the use of a hybrid membrane absorber (MA) coupled with an electrochemical solvent regenerator (ER) that is capable of extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and pre-concentrating KOH solvent followed by regenerating the solvent to release CO2 in the ER, and simultaneously refreshing the capture solvent while producing hydrogen (H2) to offset the DAC cost.