Washington – New research released today by the national environmental organization Food & Water Watch stories the failure of carbon capture and storage (CCS) development in the United States. As the data center boom is set to massively increase fossil fuel production, carbon capture is seen as the fossil fuel industry’s preferred alternative to renewable energy. Meanwhile, CCS buildout has not lived up to expectations of government officials, industry leaders, and other supporters of the faulty technology.

The analysis comes a week after Google announced its first CCS project in Decatur, Illinois to “capture emissions.” The company claims that it is “unlocking a critical technology pathway to enable a clean, affordable, reliable energy future,” to build out more baseload power for their data center expansion. Well failures at the Decatur facility where they plan to inject their emissions prompted lawmakers to call for a moratorium on carbon dioxide injection wells because of the risks they pose to drinking water and nearby communities. Growing demand for data centers like Google’s is projected to massively increase greenhouse gas emissions, as the fossil fuel industry lines up to power the tech sector’s expansion.

Food & Water Watch found that:

• Gas plants have a track record of CCS failure: Gas-fired power plants — like Google’s Illinois partner — have proven challenging for CCS implementation due to several factors, including the diluted carbon dioxide exhaust stream;
• CCS is an emissions generator: Increased methane emissions from producing additional natural gas to meet the high energy requirements for capturing carbon dioxide from natural gas combustion undermines any small amount captured.

“Carbon capture and storage is the fossil fuel industry’s way to breathe new life — and money — into the polluting sector by rebranding itself as a green solution. In fact, it’s a distraction from actionable, meaningful climate action,” said Food & Water Watch Senior Researcher Oakley Shelton-Thomas. “In an era of deregulation, continuing to build out CCS infrastructure is a waste of resources that puts people in harm’s way, all while ignoring the climate solutions we have at our disposal. Google’s move marks an escalation in the industry’s promotion of this dangerous false solution.”

The research concludes that CCS provides cover for continued fossil fuel investment and an excuse to funnel yet more public money to the oil and gas industry. Only removing CCS as a viable climate solution — through ending subsidies like the 45Q tax credit, banning the building of CCS infrastructure, and transitioning to a 100 percent renewable energy system — will bring the nation in line with needed climate goals.