Media Releases
US Enacts Landmark CO2 Storage Policy
12th February 2018
Location(s): Washington DC
Early Friday morning, the US Congress approved the most significant pro-carbon capture and storage (CCS) national policy in a decade, a tax credit for CO2 storage, known as 45Q for its section number in the US tax code. The new law is widely expected to stimulate the development of new CCS projects.
The policy change culminates a six-year effort broadly supported by stakeholders in the US and members of both political parties. Institute members Great Plains Institute and the Clean Air Task Force led an advocacy coalition with strong support from Occidental Petroleum, ClearPath and Cloud Peak Energy.
Global CCS Institute CEO, Brad Page, said project developers strongly believe the 45Q program dramatically improves the future CCS financing picture.
“We believe the intersection of better economics with the exciting technology advancements that the US Department of Energy has supported and developed will accelerate the critical deployment of CCS in North America.”
”Financial instruments have always been an essential part of getting any new clean technology deployed and this is the kind of incentive that is needed.”
While government incentives and subsidies dating back to 1992 have pushed a rapid rise in US wind and solar energy, US national support for CCS came later and with more limited application.
A CO2 storage tax credit beginning at $US10 per metric tonne was enacted only in 2009 and capped at 75 million metric tons. With that limit effectively now reached, project development in North America has stalled as developers and stakeholders awaited action by the US to reconsider policy.
The new law both extends and expands upon the original.
Firstly, it includes no cap on storage available for the credit, providing more certainty for projects that may take years to plan and develop.
Secondly, over time the law increases values for geological storage to US$50 per ton and for utilization such as enhanced oil recovery to US$35 per ton.
Thirdly, it lowers the eligibility threshold from 500,000 to 100,000 tonnes of CO2 stored on an annual basis. The higher level in the existing law has prevented smaller industrial projects from using the credit.
Mr Page said the Institute believes the new 45Q law can be a win on all counts.
“This is potentially a boon for business, for global CCS deployment, for energy security, and certainly for the climate. Its sponsors in the US Congress are to be commended for their tireless work as are stakeholders and our Institute members.”
For more information, please contact:
Antonios Papaspiropoulos (Melbourne): +61 401 944 478 antonios.papaspiropoulos@globalccsinstitute.com
Lucy Temple-Smith (Melbourne): +61 466 982 068 lucy.temple-smith@globalccsinstitute.com
Annya Schneider (Brussels): +32 25503972 annya.schneider@globalccsinstitute.com
About the Global CCS Institute: Our mission is to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS), a vital technology to tackle climate change and provide energy security. Working with and on behalf of our Members, we drive the adoption of CCS as quickly and cost effectively as possible by sharing expertise, building capacity and providing advice and support so that this vital technology can play its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our diverse international membership consists of governments, global corporations, small companies, research bodies and nongovernment organisations, committed to CCS as an integral part of a low-carbon future. We are headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with regional offices in Washington DC, Brussels, Beijing and Tokyo. For more information, visit www.globalccsinstitute.com