Decarbonizing the West is the 2024 WGA Chair initiative of Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. The initiative will examine how decarbonization strategies and technologies, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, direct air capture (DAC), and natural sequestration can position western states at the forefront of innovation and reduce the effects of carbon emissions on the environment. Through a series of workshops and webinars, WGA will convene federal, state, local, tribal, and industry stakeholders to explore issues and themes relevant to the development and deployment of carbon dioxide removal technologies, including statutory and regulatory barriers, technical advancements and challenges, and emerging applications for carbon. An initiative report will be released at the conclusion of the initiative in summer 2024.
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Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon launched his WGA Chair initiative, Decarbonizing the West, at Gillette College on September 21. During his opening remarks, he called on the West to put politics aside and unite in the name of decarbonization.
"There really is no challenge I can see that is more important for us to address responsibly, thoughtfully, and most importantly, honestly, than climate change - and that is what this initiative is about," Governor Gordon told the crowd at Gillette College. "If we can change the conversation from fossil [energy] bad, renewable [energy] good, to what do we do to make things work better, what do we do to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, what are our opportunities to grow our economy... We have a better shot of addressing this issue and leading the global charge."
Immediately following the announcement of Governor Gordon’s WGA Chair Initiative, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Governor Jared Polis pledging to work together to advance the capabilities of direct air capture in their respective states.
“Technologies like direct air capture that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are necessary tools to address climate change, and we applaud this bipartisan effort by Governor Polis and Governor Gordon to advance these technologies here in the West,” said Patrick Cummins, Senior Western Regional Policy Manager at Clean Air Task Force. “Colorado and Wyoming are leading efforts on carbon removal, and this new partnership will help the industry move forward while benefiting communities in both states.”
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Decarbonizing the West Gillette Workshop: Opening Remarks
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon launched his WGA Chair initiative, Decarbonizing the West, at Gillette College on September 21. During his opening remarks, he called on the West to put politics aside and unite in the name of decarbonization.
"There really is no challenge I can see that is more important for us to address responsibly, thoughtfully, and most importantly, honestly, than climate change - and that is what this initiative is about," Governor Gordon told the crowd at Gillette College. "If we can change the conversation from fossil [energy] bad, renewable [energy] good, to what do we do to make things work better, what do we do to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, what are our opportunities to grow our economy... We have a better shot of addressing this issue and leading the global charge."
Decarbonizing the West Gillette Workshop: Department of Energy Carbon Management Briefing with Brad Crabtree
In recent years, landmark federal legislation such as the IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act have created significant opportunities for the research and development of carbon management technologies, resulting in the largest investment into carbon management and commercialization provisions in decades.
At the Gillette Workshop of the Decarbonizing the West initiative, Brad Crabtree, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, spoke with Governor Gordon about the federal landscape as it relates to carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), and ongoing DOE efforts to advance carbon capture technology development and implementation.
Decarbonizing the West Gillette workshop: Regulatory Implications for CCUS
Federal regulations including financial incentives and tax credits, leasing and siting, and well permitting for carbon storage create a complex regulatory landscape for CCUS development. During this panel, CCUS experts from around the region examined regulatory barriers that impede the research, development, and implementation of CCUS and other carbon dioxide removal technologies in the west.
Panelists: Matt Fry, Senior Policy Analyst, Great Plains Institute, Tara Righetti, Occidental Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Wyoming, Stephen Fusilier, HQ Branch Chief, Rights-of-Way, Bureau of Land Management, Todd Parfitt, Director, Wyoming Dept. of Environmental Quality. Moderated by: Randall Luthi, Chief Energy Advisor, Office of Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.
Decarbonizing the West Gillette Workshop: CCUS Technology Showcase
Wyoming’s Integrated Test Center (ITC) is a research facility established to support the development of advanced carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies by providing a real-world testing environment for organizations and researchers working on innovative carbon dioxide removal in the industrial sector. During this panel, technology vendors at the ITC gave a technical overview of ITC projects and discussed the challenges and opportunities for CCUS development in western states.
Panelists: Yutaro Hara, Assistant Manager, CCUS Section, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Brice Freeman, Director of Carbon Capture, Membrane Technology and Research, Ambal Jayaraman, Principal Engineer, TDA Research, Howard Meyer, Senior Institute Engineer, GTI Energy. Moderated by: Will Morris, Technical Director, Integrated Test Center.
