Carbon Capture and Storage in Colorado

The document outlines the three-stage process of carbon capture and storage (CCS)—capture, transport, and storage—and argues that these technologies are essential for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries like cement and natural gas processing. It highlights Colorado's significant geologic storage capacity, estimated at nearly 150 billion metric tons of CO2, and identifies the Denver Basin, Cañon City Embayment, Piceance, and Sand Wash basins as potentially suitable sites. Economically, the document cites Rhodium Group estimates that CCS deployment could create 1,060–1,580 operational jobs and nearly 400 transportation infrastructure jobs annually over 15 years. It also details financial incentives, including the federal 45Q tax credit (offering up to $180/ton for direct air capture) and state-level support via the Colorado Industrial Tax Credit Offering and the Clean Air Program (CAP). Finally, it addresses safety concerns, noting that EPA Class VI permits regulate storage to protect drinking water and that CO2 pipelines have a long safety record in the U.S.

• Colorado possesses vast geologic storage potential, with an estimated capacity of nearly 150 billion metric tons of CO2, which the document notes is "equivalent to nearly 1,500 years of Colorado’s statewide annual CO2 emissions!"
• The deployment of CCS in Colorado is projected to support significant employment; Rhodium Group estimates that near- to intermediate-term opportunities would result in an average of 1,060–1,580 operational jobs and approximately 400 annual transportation infrastructure jobs over a 15-year period.
• Several CCS projects are currently being developed in Colorado's biofuels, natural gas, and cement industries, with a combined annual permanent storage capacity exceeding 1 million metric tons of CO2.
• Financial viability for CCS is supported by the federal 45Q tax credit, which provides values of $85/ton for geologic storage, $180/ton for direct air capture, and $60/ton for utilization for facilities starting construction before 2033.
• Specific geologic formations in Colorado identified as potentially best suited for CO2 storage include the Piceance and Sand Wash basins in the northwest, as well as the Cañon City Embayment and Denver Basin east of the Rocky Mountains.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Carbon Capture and Storage in Colorado. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/18210228/Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-in-Colorado.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Carbon Capture and Storage in Colorado. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/18210228/Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-in-Colorado.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Carbon Capture and Storage in Colorado |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/18210228/Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-in-Colorado.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendcarbon, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Carbon Capture and Storage in Colorado}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/18210228/Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-in-Colorado.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }