CCS + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

This document presents six case studies of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects in the United States, the Netherlands, and Australia to analyze the role of community engagement in project outcomes. It contrasts successful projects that utilized two-way consultation and transparency with failed projects characterized by one-way information delivery, lack of trust, or unilateral changes to project benefits.

• The Barendrecht CCS project in the Netherlands, which planned to store 300,000 metric tons of CO2 per year in depleted gas fields, was cancelled by the national government in November 2010. Despite efforts such as an information center in a shopping mall and visits from national ministers, the project faced a "complete lack of local support" and extensive delays.
• The Wallula project in Washington, USA, initially faced resistance due to a perceived link to a proposed coal plant. However, after being reconfigured to a private site at a paper mill and implementing a transparent engagement plan—including interviews with community leaders, site tours, and a commitment to share correspondence with regulators—the project achieved "little to no public opposition".
• The FutureGen project in Mattoon, Illinois, initially enjoyed strong community support because the engagement process emphasized economic development and used physical demonstrations to explain CCS. However, this support evaporated when the project was restructured to 'FutureGen 2.0', which removed the research laboratory and IGCC plant, leaving the community with a "diminished role" limited to storing CO2 piped from elsewhere.
• The CO2CRC Otway Project in Victoria, Australia, is cited as a successful example of engagement. The project established a community reference group and employed a local Community Liaison Officer to maintain trust. While generally successful, the project demonstrated that consultation "cannot guarantee a trouble-free project", as some land access issues required legislative resolution.
• The Jamestown Oxycoal Project in New York faced strong opposition because the developer (the local government) was perceived as using one-way, promotional communication. Critics argued the project was unnecessary for ratepayers and that the developer failed to consider alternatives like energy efficiency, leading to a lack of trust and the eventual loss of funding from the DOE CCPI.
• The Carson Hydrogen Power project in California, a proposed 500 MW IGCC plant, faced opposition from environmental justice groups who viewed the project as an "overburdening of the local area" due to existing industrial activity and air quality concerns, despite the project's focus on CO2 reductions.
• A recurring theme across the case studies is that effective engagement is impossible if the community believes the decision to proceed was made without them. The document states that "Effective community engagement cannot happen where the community has the impression—correct or incorrect—that the decision to move forward has already been made without engagement and consultation."

APA

World Resources Institute (2010). CCS + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. http://pdf.wri.org/ccs_and_community_engagement_case_studies.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. CCS + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 2010. http://pdf.wri.org/ccs_and_community_engagement_case_studies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=CCS + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT |date=2010 |url=http://pdf.wri.org/ccs_and_community_engagement_case_studies.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2010ccs, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{CCS + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {http://pdf.wri.org/ccs_and_community_engagement_case_studies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }