Wyoming, Colorado to partner on developing carbon capture technologies

The governors of Wyoming and Colorado signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday for interstate collaboration on the development of carbon capture technologies.

The bipartisan partnership, signed by Govs. Mark Gordon (R-Wyo.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.), will explore the potential of these emerging tools to complement existing and future industries while boosting economic growth and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in both states.

The agreement focuses specifically on “direct air carbon dioxide capture” (DAC), a method of carbon dioxide removal in which the gas is captured — from power plant emissions, for example — and then either permanently stored in geological formations underground or reused in other industries.

The federal government has advanced several incentives and competitive grant opportunities to develop and scale-related technologies — which could find a unique testbed in the Mountain West, according to the partners.

“Colorado and Wyoming each have pieces of the puzzle necessary to develop a carbon removal market and industry,” Gordon said in a statement, released alongside the announcement.

“Together, we have a powerful combination of assets, infrastructure, policy, markets, people, geology and mindsets that are needed to accelerate the development of the industry,” the Wyoming governor added.

Gordon and Polis announced the agreement on the sidelines of the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) meeting that has been taking place this week in Boulder, Colo. The WGA represents the governors of the 22 westernmost U.S. states and territories.

The carbon capture partnership was among Gordon’s first acts as WGA chairman, after he officially took over for Polis — who had held the position for the past year — at the meeting’s conclusion.

The memorandum focuses on the combined assets, infrastructure, policy, resources, markets and geology that make the region a strong contender for the growth of a DAC industry.

Wyoming has suitable geology for permanent carbon sequestration, an established carbon management system and a workforce with the skills necessary for this emerging industry, the partners noted.

Meanwhile, Colorado is on the forefront of DAC technology development — alongside an advanced clean energy ecosystem and policy that encourages emissions reductions.

The complementary but “unique capabilities” of each state could help bolster a regional DAC industry, which in turn could “lay the groundwork to scale DAC solutions globally,” the text of the memorandum reads.

“I am proud to partner with Gov. Gordon on this innovative work that benefits both Colorado and Wyoming,” Polis said in a statement.

The governor touted the joint capacity of these neighboring states to “continue to find creative ideas and common-sense solutions in the fight for clean air that won’t just benefit Colorado and Wyoming, but the entire world.”

Among Polis’s final actions as WGA chairman this week was the release of the Heat Beneath Our Feet report — the fruits of a yearlong exploration into how the West can become a leader in the geothermal energy sector.

Most of the country’s geothermal energy — a renewable resource found under the Earth’s surface — is concentrated in the U.S. West. Deep wells can extract the energy in the form of hot groundwater and steam, while generating only about one-sixth of the carbon emissions of a natural gas power plant, according the Department of Energy.

In addition to promoting geothermal energy, Polis on Wednesday morning approved six new policy resolutions on behalf of the WGA. Western governors can amend existing policy resolutions and enact new ones, which last three years, on a semi-annual basis, according to the group.

The newly adopted policy resolutions focus on western agriculture, rural development, broadband, veterans, missing and murdered indigenous people and infrastructure permitting.