About CCS  |  Additional Resources  |  Member-Only Resources

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of the key technologies needed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a major greenhouse gas (GHG). CCS technologies will capture CO₂ from fossil fuel-based power plants, transport it, and store it underground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. CCS is a relatively new technological approach, however, and there are many technical and non-technical issues involved in capturing and storing CO₂.

Congress has taken important steps to provide initial support for CCS over the past several years. However, increased government—and private sector—funding is essential for the research, design, and development of CCS to lead to successful commercial deployment. The costs of, and regulatory and economic barriers to, the use of CCS must be addressed in any federal action or legislation to reduce GHGs.

About CCS

• What is CCS?
  During the generation of fossil fuel-based electricity—from coal, natural gas, and fuel oil—CO₂ is released into the atmosphere. CCS is a process by which CO₂ is separated from emission sources, transported, and injected into suitable underground geologic locations, such as deep saline formations, unmineable coal seams, basalt formations, or depleted oil and gas fields. It is estimated that the United States has an abundance of underground storage capacity, but these potential storage areas are not evenly distributed around the country. 
• How does CCS work?
  The CO₂ is captured, or “separated,” from flue gas by means of a chemical or physical process. The captured CO₂ is then compressed (i.e., pressurized) in order to change the gas into a liquid. The liquid CO₂, also referred to as a supercritical fluid, is denser than in its original gaseous state and is easier to transport by pipeline. CO₂ in small volumes also can be transported as a liquid in tanks by ship, road, and rail. The CO₂ can then be injected into depleted oil and gas reservoirs or into deep underground saline formations for storage; or, it can be injected into depleting oil reservoirs to extract more oil and then to store the unused CO₂.

Additional Resources

• Managing Carbon Dioxide: The Geologic Solution 
  Produced with support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the documentary tells the story of geologic CO₂ sequestration.

To learn more about CCS technology, visit:

• Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum
• CO₂ Capture Project
• Coal Utilization Research Council
• Electric Power Research Institute
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Future of Coal—Options for a Carbon Constrained World (study)
• United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, Carbon Sequestration

Member-Only Resources

• To access member-only resources for CCS, visit EEI's Internet Working Group on Climate .
• Learn more about EEI's Internet Working Groups .
• For more information on member-only resources for climate, please contact Bill Fang (202-508-5617, bfang@eei.org) or Eric Holdsworth (202-508-5103, eholdsworth@eei.org).