The Carbon Capture and Storage Imperative

The report argues that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is essential to meeting mid-century climate goals because coal remains a dominant global energy source. It proposes a three-phase industry development model: a 'pioneer phase' to eliminate technical risks, a 'cost reduction phase' to scale deployment to 50 GW, and a 'mature industry phase' for deep emissions reductions. Key recommendations include a $20 billion investment for a diverse portfolio of pioneer projects by 2018, the implementation of GHG emissions performance standards for new and existing coal and gas plants, and the creation of Geologic Sequestration Utilities (GSUs) to manage CO2 storage. The report also emphasizes international collaboration with China and the use of reverse auctions to distribute financial incentives efficiently.

• The report asserts that achieving atmospheric stabilization below 550 ppm is extremely unlikely without the use of CCS, and that omitting CCS would increase the cost of achieving stabilization by 50 to 80 percent.
• The development of the CCS industry is proposed as a three-phase process: a pioneer phase to eliminate technical uncertainty through approximately 30 projects; a cost reduction phase to deploy about 50 GW of capacity to lower costs; and a mature industry phase to achieve deep emissions reductions by mid-century.
• For the pioneer phase, the author recommends a $20 billion plan to build a portfolio by 2018 including 4 GW of post-combustion capture, nine pre-combustion capture plants, three underground coal gasification (UCG) plants, and one natural gas PCC plant.
• The report estimates that $275 billion in nominal federal support is required to develop 50 GW of CCS during the cost reduction phase, suggesting that these funds be distributed via a reverse auction to ensure cost-efficiency.
• Modeling indicates that carbon prices alone will not drive significant CCS deployment before 2040, and that uncontrolled natural gas plants are currently more economically attractive than coal plants with CCS, necessitating GHG performance standards for both fuel types.
• The author proposes the creation of Geologic Sequestration Utilities (GSUs)—regulated public utilities that would manage the injection of CO2 into brine aquifers and assume liability for disposal to provide a reliable 'over-the-fence' option for emitters.
• To accelerate global commercialization, the report recommends a $500 million CCS Deployment Fund to support U.S. companies in partnerships with Chinese firms, focusing on geologic carbon sequestration, post-combustion capture, and underground coal gasification.

APA

Thompson, J., Waltzer, K., Fowler, M., & Chaisson, J. (2010). The Carbon Capture and Storage Imperative. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093559/The_Carbon_Capture_and_Storage_Imperative.pdf

Chicago

Thompson, John, Kurt Waltzer, Mike Fowler, and Joe Chaisson. The Carbon Capture and Storage Imperative. Clean Air Task Force, 2010. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093559/The_Carbon_Capture_and_Storage_Imperative.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Thompson |first1=John |last2=Waltzer |first2=Kurt |last3=Fowler |first3=Mike |last4=Chaisson |first4=Joe |title=The Carbon Capture and Storage Imperative |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=1 July 2010 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093559/The_Carbon_Capture_and_Storage_Imperative.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{thompson2010carbon, author = {Thompson, John and Waltzer, Kurt and Fowler, Mike and Chaisson, Joe}, title = {{The Carbon Capture and Storage Imperative}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2010}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093559/The_Carbon_Capture_and_Storage_Imperative.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }