Carbon sequestration is the term used to describe a broad class of technologies for safely capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide (CO2), the largest contributor to man-made greenhouse gases that many scientists believe lead to global warming.

Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman announced that DOE will provide a total of $100 million to the seven existing regional carbon sequestration partnerships. About $14.3 million of that will go to the MRCSP Phase II project. The DOE funding, managed by the Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, will be supplemented by funds from the private and non-federal sector MRCSP members. This supplemental funding totals approximately $3.77 million or over 20 percent of the total project value for Phase II and includes $750,000 in Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) funds recently approved by the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA).

The MRCSP was formed in 2003 to develop ways to reduce CO2 emissions while protecting the industrial economy of the Midwest. The MRCSP covers seven states (Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) and is the region's premier resource for identifying the technical, economic, and social considerations associated with carbon sequestration. The awards announced recently represent the second phase of research for the partnerships.

The MRCSP currently includes 38 partners representing the public, private, and research sectors in the seven-state area covered by the partnership. In Phase I, the MRCSP is focused on defining the region's existing sources of CO2, geological and terrestrial reservoirs, potential options for transporting CO2, regulatory framework, and economics of implementing sequestration opportunities in the region, as well as reaching out to public stakeholders to educate them about sequestration and receive their feedback on key issues.

The Phase II four-year research program will commence in the fall of 2005 and last through 2009. During that time, the MRCSP's research will build on the Phase I results by using a series of field validation tests to determine how the region's large, well-distributed, and competitively priced sequestration potential can be used to simultaneously advance economic growth and environmental protection. As part of this effort, the partnership also will continue with its outreach program, satisfy permitting requirements, and identify best-management practices for future deployment.

For further information on the MRCSP and the partnership program, please see www.mrcsp.org. The full DOE announcement of awards may be found at http://energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=18031&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE. OAQDA announcement of OCDO awards may be found at www.ohioairquality.org/ocdo/pr_6-16-05.asp.

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