The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a significant investment of over $23 million in 16 projects across 14 states aimed at reducing carbon emissions and advancing carbon management technologies. The funding, provided through the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), will facilitate the deployment of carbon capture, transport, and storage technologies in various industries and power facilities nationwide.
The selected projects, situated within universities and private sector companies, will focus on establishing partnerships between carbon management developers and local communities. Through tailored technical assistance and enhanced stakeholder engagement, these initiatives aim to foster collaboration, education, and the advancement of commercial-scale carbon management solutions.
The deployment of carbon management technologies holds immense significance in meeting President Biden’s ambitious climate goals and addressing the adverse impacts of climate change. By targeting hard-to-decarbonize industrial facilities and power plants, large-scale implementation of these technologies can effectively reduce harmful emissions.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm emphasized the vital role of technology in achieving climate goals, stating, “There’s no denying that to reach our climate goals technology will play a central role in the reduction of harmful carbon emissions that are exacerbating the impacts of climate change. Today’s investments will help regions across the nation develop locally-focused pathways that advance the deployment of carbon management technology while delivering more jobs and cleaner air.”
The allocated funding will empower organizations with expertise in carbon capture, transport, and storage to offer technical support and procedural guidance to industry and business partners invested in large-scale carbon management projects. The selected initiatives will provide stakeholders with essential resources, expert teams, and information necessary to facilitate the regional deployment of carbon management hubs capable of storing millions of metric tons of CO2 annually.
Additionally, the DOE will collaborate with State Geologic Surveys and related organizations to fill data gaps and assess the potential of large-scale carbon management projects within promising geologic basins across different states. Close engagement with the affected communities will be a key component of these initiatives, aiming to enhance public understanding of the technical aspects of carbon capture, transport, and storage infrastructure. This cooperation is expected to reduce project costs and risks, improve monitoring effectiveness, develop strategies for public acceptance, and provide data to support legislative decision-making nationwide.
The selected projects will be managed by the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), under the supervision of the FECM. The NETL website provides a detailed list of the chosen initiatives. With the funding announcements, the FECM has invested over $777 million in more than 100 projects since January 2021, advancing research, development, and deployment of carbon capture, transport, and storage approaches. This substantial progress is crucial in driving economic development, fostering technological innovation, and creating high-wage jobs as the nation transitions to a clean energy and industrial economy.
The FECM’s focus on minimizing environmental and climate impacts encompasses various technology areas, including carbon capture, carbon conversion, carbon dioxide removal, carbon dioxide transport and storage, hydrogen production with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, and critical minerals production.
