Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has joined a bipartisan group of governors in announcing the formation of a new national carbon capture program.
The Governors’ Partnership on Carbon Capture will be led by Governors Matt Mead of Wyoming and Steve Bullock of Montana.
Gov. Fallin and Governors Gary Herbert of Utah, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and Jeff Colyer of Kansas will be part of the carbon capture group.
“The Governors’ Partnership on Carbon Capture will play an important role in developing the potential for CO2 enhanced oil recovery in Oklahoma’s oil and gas production,” said Fallin. “This coalition encourages market-driven solutions in the development of CO2 pipelines and carbon-capture facilities.”
The partnership will undertake initiatives and support policies that further the development and deployment of carbon capture projects and carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline infrastructure across the United States.
Through the partnership, governors will work together to:
- Elevate carbon capture and its beneficial utilization and storage as a national priority for American energy independence, job creation, environmental stewardship and global technology leadership.
- Encourage congressional and presidential action to expand the portfolio of federal policies to put carbon capture on an equal footing with other low and zero-emission energy technologies.
- Foster carbon capture and CO2 pipeline infrastructure deployment in states and regions by identifying state policies and programs to complement 45Q and other federal policies, and by forging public-private partnerships to support critical projects and overcome barriers to developing, financing and implementing them.
Formally launched Tuesdayat the CO2NNECT 2018 conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the partnership will convene a scoping conference call among participating governors following the event. Mead and Bullock will also communicate individually with additional interested governors in the coming weeks. Participating governors will plan an in-person meeting alongside the National Governors Association Winter Meeting in February Washington, D.C.
At the direction of the participating governors, the partnership will be coordinated and staffed by the State Carbon Capture Work Group, which brings together officials from 15 states to address federal- and state-level policies, and to advance carbon capture deployment. Initial funding for the partnership is provided through grants from the MacArthur Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Spitzer Charitable Trust, Energy Foundation, and from private-sector contributions.
