Carbon dioxide (CO2) is used to carbonate beverages and enhance plant growth. It has also been used for decades in enhanced oil recovery, in which CO2 is injected into oil- or gas-bearing formations to help extract oil and gas. Of course, many say that CO2 causes or contributes to climate change / global warming. In 2009, EPA issued its ‘endangerment finding’ in which EPA determined that current and projected concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.

The idea of capturing CO2 before it enters the atmosphere and using it or injecting it for perpetual storage, or sequestration, came about as a way to mitigate the anticipated impacts of climate change. To facilitate carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS), Congress created the 45Q tax credit in the US Tax Code. Additionally, the Biden Administration touted CCUS as an important tool to address climate change. Even the prior Governor of Louisiana included it as a centerpiece of his climate strategy.

Continue reading “The Fading Luster of Carbon Capture” →