Carbon Capture and Storage – Why It’s Essential

The Clean Air Task Force supports the EPA's move to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants, asserting that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a technologically ready and necessary tool for deep emissions cuts. The authors argue that CCS can reduce emissions from stationary sources by 90% and is essential for the U.S. to reach its target of an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. They reject industry claims that the technology is not commercially viable, citing decades of industrial use and existing projects like the Kemper plant in Mississippi and the Texas Clean Energy Project. The document emphasizes that the Clean Air Act is intended to be "technology-forcing," driving innovation and scaling of emissions control technologies similar to the historical adoption of sulfur dioxide scrubbers.

• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can reduce CO2 emissions from individual stationary sources—specifically power plants and industrial facilities—by 90%.
• Power plants and industrial facilities are major contributors to global emissions, together accounting for nearly 66% of the approximately 30 gigatons of CO2 released globally from human activity, with power plants contributing 11.9 Gt and industrial facilities 7.4 Gt.
• The authors contend that CCS is a proven technology, noting that carbon capture systems have been used in large industrial plants for decades and millions of tons of CO2 have been stored in depleted oil fields to enhance oil production.
• To achieve the U.S. target of an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, all fossil plants, including those using natural gas, must have full CCS implemented by that date.

APA

Weeks, A., Schneider, C., & Thompson, J. (2013). Carbon Capture and Storage – Why It’s Essential. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2013/09/carbon-capture-and-storage-why-its-essential/

Chicago

Weeks, Ann, Conrad Schneider, and John Thompson. Carbon Capture and Storage – Why It’s Essential. Clean Air Task Force, 2013. https://www.catf.us/2013/09/carbon-capture-and-storage-why-its-essential/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Weeks |first1=Ann |last2=Schneider |first2=Conrad |last3=Thompson |first3=John |title=Carbon Capture and Storage – Why It’s Essential |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=25 September 2013 |url=https://www.catf.us/2013/09/carbon-capture-and-storage-why-its-essential/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{weeks2013carbon, author = {Weeks, Ann and Schneider, Conrad and Thompson, John}, title = {{Carbon Capture and Storage – Why It’s Essential}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://www.catf.us/2013/09/carbon-capture-and-storage-why-its-essential/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }