What policies could pave a pathway to CCS success in Houston

Wide-scale deployment of CCS in the Houston area will require the collective support of industry, communities and government.

The International Energy Agency says it would be “virtually impossible” to reach net-zero emissions without carbon capture and storage (CCS) operating at scale. Luckily, the U.S. is a global leader in innovation, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) is no exception.

In fact, in Houston, 11 companies, including ExxonMobil, expressed interest in supporting the large-scale deployment of CCS technology. The companies believe the effort could lead to capturing and safely storing up to 50 million metric tons of CO₂ per year by 2030 and about 100 million metric tons by 2040.

What exactly is CCS?

CCS is the process of capturing CO₂ that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere from industrial activity and injecting it into deep geologic formations for safe, secure and permanent storage.

Benefits expand beyond the important goal of eliminating carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere—the expansion of CCS could help enable the growth of tens of thousands of new jobs and protect thousands of existing ones.

What policies need to be in place for CCS to thrive?

• Create a favorable investment environment for CCS activities;
• Provide financial support for infrastructure to allow for CO₂ to be captured, transported and safely sequestered;
• Ensure government approval for CO₂ storage; and
• Collaboration between the public and private sectors.