Carbon sequestration has been a buzzword during years of relatively small-scale experimentation. Of late, however, the concept is maturing and expanding beyond what even its most ardent early supporters envisioned – especially in the West.     

The U.S. Department of Energy, for example, just announced $24 million in funding for nine projects that are developing methods of capturing and storing carbon from the air; $4.8 million of that is allocated to Washington State University and Oklahoma State University. A newly finalized deal in North Dakota will transform a natural gas plant into the North Dakota Hydrogen Hub, which will capture 95% of the carbon emissions created in the process of refining the hydrogen fuel. It will then be transported to Canada for use in enhanced oil recovery, or deep underground where it will be calcified into rock. 

Similarly, a proposed pipeline in the Midwest would transport 24 million metric tons of carbon emissions produced by ethanol plants across six states, including Nebraska and South Dakota, and store it in geologic formations in North Dakota. Earlier this year at the Wyoming Integrated Test Center, UCLA CarbonBuilt won the Carbon XPRIZE Contest by successfully transforming flue gas from a coal-fired power plant into concrete, a process that is now being used at a commercial scale in Colorado. 

Even as these more traditional ideas for carbon capture and storage materialize, new processes for capturing and storing carbon are emerging.   

Oregon developed a plan to store more carbon in its estuaries and forested tidal wetlands. The Port of San Diego in California is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration to study the carbon sequestration capacity of eelgrass, which can store carbon at rates 30 to 50 times greater than forests and trap CO2 for thousands of years under the saltwater. In Alaska, residents and organizations have come together to implement a local “carbon drawdown” by storing carbon in the peat bogs (aka tundra). Researchers at Arizona State University are developing an artificial enzyme capable of producing clean fuels from light energy and sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  

Finally, carbon capture and sequestration have become so high profile that the Colorado School of Mines announced a new certification in carbon capture technology.  

WILDFIRE UPDATES: The days are getting shorter and temperatures are dipping lower each night, helping reduce fire risk, but a high-stakes battle continues in California against the enormous blazes that have plagued the state. The Dixie Fire, which has been burning for almost two months, recently surpassed 800,000 acres, prompting more evacuations. The latest reports, however, indicate the fire is 55% contained. Further south, the Caldor Fire this week forced the entire town of South Lake Tahoe to evacuate, along with several other towns across multiple counties, and continues to threaten thousands of structures. The latest reports show that progress is being made thanks to some favorable weather, allowing firefighters to direct the flames towards the neighboring Tamarack Fire. If successfully merged, the blazes could move toward a "fresh burn area" that might provide an important and natural stopping point for the fast-moving inferno. Even with better weather, dry conditions persist throughout much of the state, resulting in the closure of all of California’s National Forests until mid-September. 

HISTORIC GIFT: Mark and Robyn Jones, founders of Goosehead Insurance Inc., recently donated $101 million to the College of Nursing at Montana State University. The gift, meant to improve access to health care throughout the state’s vast rural areas, is the largest gift ever received by MSU and also the largest donation ever made to a college of nursing in the U.S. “This is a significant moment for MSU, as we estimate we will now be able to meet the state’s projected shortfall in baccalaureate-level registered nurses by 2030,” said Sarah Shannon, Dean of the College of Nursing.

MAN POWER: An Anchorage, Alaska man spent more than a decade planning and building a micro-hydro power plant in his backyard – pretty much by himself. Now, it can power more than 300 homes. Dubbed Juniper Creek Hydroelectric, the plant ‘borrows’ water from the creek, diverting it nearly a quarter-mile to a computer-run powerhouse that feeds electricity into power lines. Then the water is returned to the stream, without impacting downstream flows. There’s even a solar-powered radio communications system that allows the power to be shut off remotely if there’s an emergency or other need. Read more.   

WESTERN BEAUTY: Conde Nast has compiled a list of the 26 most beautiful towns in the U.S. Unsurprisingly, many are located in the West. From Sitka, Alaska, and Paia, Hawaii to Taos, New Mexico, and Telluride, Colorado the West’s diverse landscapes and rich history made for easy picks. See if your town made the list.      

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