Technological Carbon Removal in the United States

The paper assesses technological carbon removal options in the United States, specifically bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), direct air capture with storage (DACS), and frontier technologies. It argues that while these technologies are critical for stabilizing global temperatures and meeting Paris Agreement targets, their deployment requires significant policy investment in research, development, and infrastructure. The author emphasizes that carbon pricing or regulatory mandates will be essential for sustained large-scale deployment, as CO2 utilization markets alone are insufficient.

• Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) varies in its climate benefits and could potentially harm natural ecosystems or food security. To ensure beneficial deployment, appropriate safeguards and accounting are necessary, which will naturally limit the total achievable scale of carbon removal via BECCS.
• The economic potential of direct air capture with storage (DACS) is currently constrained by high costs and the need for low-carbon energy inputs, though costs may be lower than previously thought. While U.S. geological storage capacity seems sufficient, individual sites require validation.
• Large-scale deployment of carbon removal technologies will likely require carbon pricing mechanisms or regulatory mandates because these technologies provide a public good and are not cost-competitive without such interventions. Markets for CO2 utilization products can support early deployment but cannot sustain the scale required by global climate models.
• Scaling technological carbon removal requires a three-pronged investment strategy: research, development, and demonstration (RD&D); deployment support; and advancements in fossil fuel carbon capture, storage, and utilization (CCS). Specifically, adopting CCS in existing biorefineries is noted as a relatively low-cost way to catalyze transport and storage technologies.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Technological Carbon Removal in the United States. https://www.wri.org/research/technological-carbon-removal-united-states

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Technological Carbon Removal in the United States. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/technological-carbon-removal-united-states.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Technological Carbon Removal in the United States |url=https://www.wri.org/research/technological-carbon-removal-united-states |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendtechnological, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Technological Carbon Removal in the United States}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/technological-carbon-removal-united-states}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }