The UNC Energy Center will host a conference on Carbon Capture/Sequestration (CCS). Wind, solar and battery storage have inherent limitations that produce rising costs as they are pushed towards generating base load electricity. Consequently, other forms of generation must compensate for their intermittency and integration costs. Natural gas power plants are thus a natural companion for wind and solar – but even these plants add to GHG emissions. CCS technologies offer a potential means for decarbonizing natural gas plants and stabilizing the grid. Longer term, they also could help decarbonize coal-based power generation in developing countries. For this to happen, these emerging technologies must first demonstrate they can be economically deployed at scale. The UNC Energy Center’s conference will focus on these technologies and their potential for early commercialization.

The conference will feature a keynote address from John Minge, who is chairing the National Petroleum Council’s current CCS study. Spokespersons for emerging technology developers, NetPower and ExxonMobil, will present their capabilities and recent efforts to demonstrate their effectiveness. Spokespersons from major oil companies, utilities and the National Renewable Energy Lab will discuss options for economically deploying captured CO2. The conference’s second day will be a private ‘Aspen Institute-style’ event where potential investors in CCS technology applications will have a chance to question both providers and experts in federal tax and environmental policy on both technology options and the current policy ‘state of play.’ Subsequent to the conference, a detailed report will be published on a non-attribution basis.