Year of Award
2024
Document Type
Professional Paper
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism
Department or School/College
Journalism
Committee Chair
Nadia White
Committee Co-chair
Dennis Swibold
Commitee Members
Payton Gardner
Keywords
carbon sequestration, Montana, Energy Transition, Carter County
Abstract
The Snowy River Carbon Sequestration Project in southeastern Montana aims to store carbon dioxide emissions from two Wyoming power plants deep underground. This project aligns with new federal pollution regulations emphasizing carbon storage. Previously, carbon capture and storage (CCS) was mainly used to enhance oil production, but it's now transitioning to focus solely on emission reduction due to government incentives. The project represents Montana's first venture into using public lands for carbon storage, a trend expected to grow significantly with future federal mandates. Fossil fuel companies are investing heavily in CCS technology, with an eye on emission reduction rather than increased oil production. However, experts are divided on whether privatizing CCS efforts will lead to scalable climate solutions or prove to be a costly experiment without significant impact on climate change mitigation.
Recommended Citation
Farhat, Najifa, "Big Sky above, big space below: Montana is a frontier for deep carbon storage" (2024). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12319.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12319
© Copyright 2024 Najifa Farhat