To make good on its climate goals, California needs carbon capture, removal, and storage technologies

California is projected to fall 125 million metric tons of CO2 short of its 2045 targets, necessitating the use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to address hard-to-abate industrial emissions and achieve net-negative emissions. The state possesses vast geologic storage potential, particularly in Central Valley saline aquifers, estimated at 30-417 gigatonnes of CO2. Beyond emissions, these technologies are presented as means to improve air quality by reducing sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, and to support workforce stability during the clean energy transition.

• California is projected to miss its 2045 climate targets by approximately 125 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, according to the Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
• To reach carbon neutrality by 2045 and subsequent negative emissions, California needs to eliminate emissions from hard-to-abate point sources, such as steel and cement, and remove CO2 from the atmosphere using engineered solutions.
• California has significant geologic storage capacity, specifically in Central Valley saline aquifers, with an estimated potential of 30-417 gigatonnes of CO2, though large-scale deployment will require significant transportation infrastructure.
• Engineered carbon capture solutions are described as superior to nature-based solutions regarding permanence, as they offer minimal risk of carbon release.
• Carbon capture technologies may provide co-benefits including improved air quality through the reduction of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and sometimes nitrogen oxide emissions, as well as the preservation of high-paying jobs in sectors like fossil fuels.

APA

Grove, B., & Peridas, G. (2021). To make good on its climate goals, California needs carbon capture, removal, and storage technologies. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2021/08/to-make-good-on-its-climate-goals-california-needs-carbon-capture-removal-and-storage-technologies/

Chicago

Grove, Ben, and George Peridas. To make good on its climate goals, California needs carbon capture, removal, and storage technologies. Clean Air Task Force, 2021. https://www.catf.us/2021/08/to-make-good-on-its-climate-goals-california-needs-carbon-capture-removal-and-storage-technologies/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Grove |first1=Ben |last2=Peridas |first2=George |title=To make good on its climate goals, California needs carbon capture, removal, and storage technologies |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=20 August 2021 |url=https://www.catf.us/2021/08/to-make-good-on-its-climate-goals-california-needs-carbon-capture-removal-and-storage-technologies/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{grove2021make, author = {Grove, Ben and Peridas, George}, title = {{To make good on its climate goals, California needs carbon capture, removal, and storage technologies}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://www.catf.us/2021/08/to-make-good-on-its-climate-goals-california-needs-carbon-capture-removal-and-storage-technologies/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }