The Harvard Environmental Law and Policy Clinic supports the development of carbon capture and geological sequestration (CCGS) as part of a larger national effort to address climate change and promote economic growth. President Obamas commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to deploy CCGS as one mechanism for achieving emissions reductions provides impetus for realizing this goal. The urgency posed by climate change combined with the time needed for obtaining project financing and permits and for demonstration of large scale CCGS projects requires that the United States develop the necessary support structure for CCGS immediately. Given the urgent need to slow climate change, it is not appropriate to wait for national restrictions to be imposed on emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) or for the establishment of a national cap-and-trade system, or national CCGS legislation before proceeding to demonstrate the technology necessary for commercial deployment. Apart from reducing CO2 emissions, the development of CCGS technology in the United States also has the potential to provide large economic and energy security benefits by creating high quality jobs and reducing reliance on foreign imports of fossil fuels. Despite both the need and the emerging political will, few specific proposals for achieving the rapid development of CCGS have been put forward to date.
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