The Roundtable joined in a coalition effort which got enacted a new tax credit for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture/sequestration and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The so-called “Section 45Q” credit will encourage the use of CO2 from power plants in EOR operations, as a way to finance large demonstration projects of CO2 capture and sequestration technologies. 

The Roundtable has long supported the idea of encouraging the “commoditization” of CO2. The process of EOR is perhaps the best example of this concept, Oil and gas companies have been using CO2 to improve production at aging oil fields for years. Historically, much of that CO2 has come from natural sources.

Coal provides 50 percent of the electricity generated in the United States and will continue to be an important element of the baseload generation portfolio for many years to come. However, the continuing climate change debate highlights the immediate need to advance, rapidly, technology to achieve CO2 capture from coal-based power plants.

Roundtable members may access more details on this issue and related information by logging onto the Roundtable Air Quality Committee Online Headquarters, through the "Members" tab of the home page.