Building carbon capture and storage facilities in the US takes too long: how can we streamline the process?

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🗞️ Driving the news: Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University assessed the time required to develop, approve, and implement Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) facilities in the U.S.
• They found that the process can take between 5.5 to 12 years, which is problematically lengthy for meeting urgent climate goals

🔭 The context: Originally developed in the 1920s for natural gas processing, CCS technology is now a key component in conservation efforts with 40 CCS facilities globally, and 50 more expected by the end of the decade

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: CCS is critical in mitigating climate change, potentially contributing to 14% of the required global GHG emissions reduction by 2050
• However, the slow approval process for CCS facilities is a significant bottleneck, hindering the achievement of climate targets

⏭️ What's next: To speed up CCS facility development, the paper suggests a few strategies, including pre-vetting sites, facilitating multi-state coordination, and strengthening EPA and state-level staffing
• Accelerating this process is vital for the U.S. to meet its 2030 and 2050 climate goals

💬 One quote: "We found that indeed, one of the bottlenecks is the local state capacity" (Valerie Karplus, Researcher, Carnegie Mellon University)

📈 One stat: The CCS process currently prevents approximately 45 metric tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year

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