CCS Second Thoughts August 21, 2024

As PSR is putting final touches on a new report detailing the health risks of carbon capture and storage (CCS), we’ve been digging into some other recent analysis on the industry. First on our reading list, is a new report from our friends over at the Science and Environmental Health Network and the Bold Alliance that takes an in-depth look at the dubious climate benefits and frightening health risks of carbon capture for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). But it’s not just carbon capture for EOR that’s drawing an increasing number of skeptics. A new report from Taxpayers for Common Sense looks at what the CCS industry has done with the tens of billions of tax-payer dollars the government has already fed them and the results call to question the value of these investments, as serious challenges remain when it comes to deploying CCS given high costs and project failures. And it would seem like these challenges, among others, are playing out on the ground, as just last week, NextDecade backed out of plans to add carbon capture to its Rio Grande LNG Terminal after losing FERC approvals. While some may view CCS as a silver bullet for carbon emissions, the fact remains that the technology isn’t as foolproof as once thought. We must remain focused on reducing, and eventually eliminating, fossil fuel extraction and use to protect ourselves and future generations from catastrophic climate change.