Prepared Testimony of Andrew G. Place Director, U.S. State Energy and Climate Policy Clean Air Task Force before the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing on Carbon Capture

The testimony advocates for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as a vital tool for Pennsylvania to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. It identifies Western Pennsylvania as the most geologically favorable region for CO2 storage, estimating a potential capacity of 75.6 gigatonnes in deep saline formations, though it notes this figure may be overly optimistic. The author suggests that initial CCS projects should target 15 identified steel, cement, and power plants in the west to minimize transport costs, proposing a 'hub' model to achieve economies of scale. The testimony also highlights the potential for Pennsylvania to use its natural gas resources to produce clean hydrogen via reforming with CCS. To enable this transition, the author calls for federal policy support, specifically the enhancement of 45Q tax credits to $85 per metric ton and the passage of the SCALE Act, as well as the adoption of a state-level Clean Energy Standard.

• Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is described as a flexible technology capable of removing 90% of CO2 from power plants and industrial facilities, with the potential to adapt to eliminate over 99% as net-zero goals increase.
• Pennsylvania's deep saline formations are estimated to have a storage capacity of approximately 75.6 gigatonnes (Gt), though the author cautions that this estimate is likely 'overly optimistic' and requires site-specific characterization to reduce geologic uncertainty.
• Geologic storage is primarily viable in western Pennsylvania due to the 'geologic complexity and deformation' found in the central and eastern parts of the state.
• The combined cost for capture, transport, and storage in Pennsylvania is estimated to be around $85 per metric ton of CO2, with capture costs for favorable industrial projects ranging between $40 and $65 per metric ton and transport/storage estimated at $25 per metric ton.
• Pennsylvania can leverage its natural gas endowment to produce clean hydrogen through reforming technologies with deep CCS, which may be more cost-effective than renewable pathways in areas where natural gas is inexpensive.
• The author recommends that Congress increase 45Q tax credits from $50 to $85 per metric ton of CO2 stored in saline formations and pass the SCALE Act to provide nearly $5 billion in grants for regional transport and storage networks.

APA

Place, A. G. (2021). Prepared Testimony of Andrew G. Place Director, U.S. State Energy and Climate Policy Clean Air Task Force before the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing on Carbon Capture. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21092204/Clean-Air-Task-Force-testimony-Andrew-Place-Pennsylvania-House-Democratic-Policy-Committee-Hearing-on-Carbon-Capture-21-July-2021-FINAL-v.294.pdf

Chicago

Place, Andrew G. Prepared Testimony of Andrew G. Place Director, U.S. State Energy and Climate Policy Clean Air Task Force before the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing on Carbon Capture. Clean Air Task Force, 2021. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21092204/Clean-Air-Task-Force-testimony-Andrew-Place-Pennsylvania-House-Democratic-Policy-Committee-Hearing-on-Carbon-Capture-21-July-2021-FINAL-v.294.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Place |first1=Andrew G. |title=Prepared Testimony of Andrew G. Place Director, U.S. State Energy and Climate Policy Clean Air Task Force before the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing on Carbon Capture |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21092204/Clean-Air-Task-Force-testimony-Andrew-Place-Pennsylvania-House-Democratic-Policy-Committee-Hearing-on-Carbon-Capture-21-July-2021-FINAL-v.294.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{place2021prepared, author = {Place, Andrew G.}, title = {{Prepared Testimony of Andrew G. Place Director, U.S. State Energy and Climate Policy Clean Air Task Force before the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing on Carbon Capture}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2021}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21092204/Clean-Air-Task-Force-testimony-Andrew-Place-Pennsylvania-House-Democratic-Policy-Committee-Hearing-on-Carbon-Capture-21-July-2021-FINAL-v.294.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }