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DOE has released a report that estimates the amount of CO2 that can be sequestered under Federal land titled “Storage of Captured Carbon Dioxide Beneath Federal Lands“. The report estimates and characterizes the storage potential that lies beneath some of the more than 400 million acres of Federal land available for lease. Estimated at between 126 to 375 billion metric tons of CO2, the majority of this storage potential (about 85 percent) is located west of the Mississippi River, where most of the leasable Federal acreage (92 percent) is found.

Federal lands present two unique advantages for assembling a parcel of land for CO2 storage: single ownership, and large tracts of land. Trying to secure leases from multiple landowners who may have various opinions and expectations regarding CO2 storage operations may be quite a challenge. The Federal land blocks are large tracts that may offer excellent opportunities for large scale CO2 storage projects. Clear ownership of the storage reservoir pore space is critical to a successful CO2 storage project.

CO2 is captured and stored underground CO2 to permanently prevent it from entering the atmosphere. It must be stored underground for 10′s and 100′s of years. Long-term storage of CO2 beneath Federal lands will require long-term monitoring for potential subsurface and surface leakage. The absence of regulations governing CO2 storage operations is the primary obstacle in utilizing the storage potential beneath Federal land. Legislation is needed to define the regulations for CO2 storage is needed.