Document Type
Policy Brief
Publication Date
2023
Abstract
West Virginia is an ideal location for direct air capture (DAC; left picture) and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS; right picture) – two ways to remove the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) already in the atmosphere. Both DAC and BECCS require a geological location that can store any CO 2 that is not turned into products. Luckily, the same geology that supports West Virginia’s fossil fuel industry, including former oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, and saline formations, can potentially be used to store CO 2 and provide job opportunities for those in former coal communities. BECCS also requires biological waste to produce biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. This waste is readily available from West Virginia’s wood products and agriculture industries, As a result, both DAC and BECCS have the potential to generate economic prosperity and job creation, particularly in West Virginia’s coal communities and other rural communities. Care must still be taken, however, to ensure that local communities are involved in decision-making from the earliest stages and that these communities economically benefit from DAC and BECCS investments .
Recommended Citation
Stine, Deborah D., "Incentivize Direct Air Capture, Bioenergy with Carbon Capture, and Carbon Storage While Assessing Opportunities and Challenges to Local Communities" (2023). Bridge Initiative for Science and Technology Policy, Leadership, and Communications. 8.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/bridge_initiative/8