Carbon Capture & Storage in Louisiana: Fast & Easy

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards recently announced his plan to join the U.S. Climate Alliance, and late last year he signed an executive order setting a goal of making Louisiana carbon-neutral by 2050. This will be difficult - Louisiana is ranked 5th in the US by greenhouse gas emissions, in part due to heavy industrial emissions from chemicals and refining.

Carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) can help achieve this goal, in part enabled by bipartisan Federal and state legislation introduced by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Malinda White (D-Bogalusa), Jean-Paul Loussan (R-Lafayette), and State executive orders. These and other actions have put Louisiana on the fast track to permit large-scale projects.

“Carbon Capture & Energy” is the third event in a series of panels being convened as part of the Women In Energy CCUS Roadshow. These conversations highlight leading experts in the field of CCUS with a special focus on local policy and deployment. Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy’s Carbon Management Research Initiative and Women in Energy program, with support from the United States Energy Association, are pleased to host this panel of exceptional leaders to discuss the vital role of carbon capture in greenhouse gas emissions reductions and carbon dioxide removal.

The conversation will focus on the status of carbon capture policy and technology in Louisiana, including the recently introduced bipartisan SCALE Act that could make Louisiana a national hub for carbon capture and sequestration, and the State’s request for primacy in permitting class VI injection wells. We will also discuss how it can contribute to a more just energy transition and what impacts it would have on job creation and critical regional economic opportunities.

Opening Remarks:
Sheila Hollis, Acting Executive Director, United States Energy Association

Moderator:
Dr. S. Julio Friedmann, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA

Panelists:
Mary L. Landrieu, former U.S. Senator (D-LA)
Malinda White, Member of Louisiana House of Representatives (D-Bogalusa)
Brittany Tarufelli, Economist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Assistant Professor at Center for Energy Studies, Louisiana State University
Marjorie Kiethen, Co-Chair of Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Industry Team at JonesWalker, LLC

This event is open to press, and registration is required to attend.
For media inquiries or requests for interviews, please contact Natalie Volk (nv2388@columbia.edu).