Big Sky above, big space below: Montana is a frontier for deep carbon storage

Author

Najifa FarhatFollow

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

Publisher

University of Montana

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