Published:
May 19, 2025
Washington, DC April 28th-29th, 2025 -- Two workshops were held at the LBJ Washington Center to explore new frontiers for research in carbon management as well as federal policy priorities associated with carbon management in the new administration. The events were part of work supported by UT's Office of the Vice Provost for Research's Bold Inquiry Incubator and an initiative on the Economics of CCUS supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The workshops aimed to define specific research needs for optimal development and delivery of carbon management technologies and addressed federal incentives, legal and regulatory barriers, and environmental justice within the context of the current administration.
Day one outlined technical and engineering challenges relating to all elements of the carbon management supply chain, from point of capture or removal to ultimate sequestration or utilization pathways; and delineating a research roadmap to overcome those challenges. The workshop convened experts from the technical and policy communities, including academia, government, nonprofits, and private foundations. Day two involved panelists and discussions related to the design of federal carbon capture tax credits, regulatory and legal challenges to carbon management, and community impacts.
Key Takeaways from Day One (Research Priorities):
- Cost Reduction: A critical need exists to lower the costs of carbon capture technologies (both direct air capture and point source capture) to facilitate wider adoption.
- Robust MRV: Developing a robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) framework is essential for the success of carbon dioxide removal and carbon credit programs. Lessons learned from methane MRV highlight the importance of direct measurements and tracking emission sources.
- Technology Integration: Optimizing the combination of different carbon management technologies across the value chain and evaluating their performance is crucial. This includes considering constraints on technology deployment, spatial scales, and policy incentives.
A high-level summary of the event can be found here.
Key Takeaways from the Day Two (Federal Policy Priorities):
- Federal Incentives: Public incentives, such as the 45Q tax credit, are crucial for driving the deployment of carbon capture technologies, as private market interest remains limited, primarily to enhanced oil recovery.
- Legal and Regulatory Barriers: Addressing legal and regulatory obstacles, including incomplete regulatory regimes, inadequate MRV frameworks, and permitting challenges (especially for Class VI wells), is essential for scaling up CCUS projects.
- Community Impacts and Environmental Justice: It is vital to consider the equity and distributional impacts of CCUS projects, prioritize community engagement, and ensure that environmental justice is a central focus in the design and deployment of carbon management strategies.
A high-level summary of the event can be found at this link.