Policy Readiness For Offshore Carbon Dioxide Storage In The Northeast
Type
Policy Brief or Report
Year
2017
Level
Other Boards and Agencies
State(s)
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia
Policy Areas
Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources
Reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is vital to mitigate climate change. To date, reduction efforts have primarily focused on minimizing the production of carbon dioxide during electricity generation, transport, and other activities. Going forward, to the extent that carbon dioxide continues to be produced, it will need to be captured before release. Research is currently being undertaken into the possibility of injecting carbon dioxide into the seabed. One study aims to identify possible injection sites in the seabed along the northeast coast of the U.S. It is anticipated that, following identification of suitable sites, a demonstration project will be undertaken to assess the feasibility of offshore CCS. This paper outlines key regulatory requirements for the demonstration project and any subsequent commercial operations.