In 2007, DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Carbon Sequestration Program. Launched in 1997 as a small-scale research effort, the Program has grown into a multi-faceted research and development effort with public-private partnerships testing new technology in the field.

The first 10 years have significantly advanced our understanding of
CO₂ capture; geologic and terrestrial storage; monitoring, mitigation and verification; regulations and permitting; and the economics of carbon capture and sequestration technologies. The next 10 years will prove to be just as exciting – with large-scale field tests to demonstrate the long-term storage potential of geologic sites, new models to calculate carbon uptake from farms and forests, increased outreach for greater public awareness and acceptance, and technology commercialization to integrate cost-effective carbon capture systems with fossil fuel power plants.  

As carbon sequestration technologies move toward development, they will become a critical element of the entire energy supply picture. Technologies developed in this program also will serve as test components for FutureGen, an initiative to equip multiple new clean coal power plants with advanced carbon capture and storage technology.

On a global scale, carbon capture and storage technologies have the potential to reduce overall climate change mitigation costs and increase flexibility in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the 2005 report, Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, application of carbon sequestration technologies could reduce the costs of stabilizing CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere by 30 percent or more compared to scenarios where such technologies are not deployed.

Economic growth is closely tied to energy availability and consumption, particularly lower-cost fossil fuels. While the use of fossil fuels results in the release of carbon dioxide, carbon capture and storage technologies balance economic value and environmental concern – retaining fossil fuels in a carbon constrained world without constraining economic growth.

Thank you for visiting NETL’s public information portal on carbon capture and storage technology development. Please use the links in the blue box on the right or orange bar on the left for additional information, and feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

CLICK ON GRAPHIC TO SEE LARGER VIEW